Let Us Raise the Gathering of Support to the Rank of a European Referendum!

An Appeal

We must gather one million signatures in support of the national regions from all across Europe, before the 7^th of May, 2020. By national regions, we mean regions that are distinguished by national, linguistic, cultural, and religious particularities from neighboring regions. These may be countries, smaller administrative units, or areas without administrative powers, communities with strong cultural, political and historical identities, peoples, nations, societies that did not form their own state, yet carry a strong political will for self-determination.

Victory of the Szekler National Council in the Court of Justice of the European Union

The Szekler National Council has achieved tremendous success in Luxembourg. The Court of Justice of the European Union, in second instance, declared the European Commission's decision of July 2013 rejecting the registration of a European Citizens' Initiative on national regions, to be null. The court therefore took the side of the initiators over the European Commission.

- Open letter to Mr. Thorbjørn Jagland Secretary General of the Council of Europe -

Your Excellency,

On it’s inaugural meeting, held on the 7th of July, 2003, the Initiator Board of the Szekler National Council welcomed in a declaration the Resolution 1334 (2003) of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe, based on the Report of Andreas Gross. This document is featured prominently in all the subsequent decisions and argumentations of the Szekler National Council.

After the submission of the European Citizen’s Initiative of the Szekler National Council on the protection of regions possessing national, linguistic, cultural characteristics, we find it important to note:

- Taking into account the resolution of the Congress of the Municipalities from Szeklerland which, on the 9th of august 2009 stated that "Szeklerland can not be divided or assimilated, it may only exist within it’s historically developed regional boundaries, as an autonomous administrative unit and a distinct NUTS region. The principle adopted in the European Union - which states that the regions should be recognized, not delimitated - should be considered applicable for Romania also.";

- Considering that it is necessary to continuously present and represent on international forums, and in other countries of the world the common will for Szeklerland's autonomy expressed by the Szekler people;

- Considering the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, which states that: “All peoples have the right of self-determination. By virtue of that right they freely determine their political status and freely pursue their economic, social and cultural development. All peoples may, for their own ends, freely dispose of their natural wealth and resources without prejudice to any obligations arising out of international economic co-operation, based upon the principle of mutual benefit, and international law. In no case may a people be deprived of its own means of subsistence”;

Resolution regarding the information required to register the EU Citizens’ initiative

Based on the fact that the peoples right to self determination is an universal human right;

The people of Europe are Equal

Declaration of Principles referring to the cooperation of the European Union’s national regions

― Whereas the right to self-determination is a universal human right to which each people have a right and the European practice of autonomies creates the institutions within the state for self-determination specifically for national communities living in numerical minority,

— Whereas the Szekler people are a historical, geographic and cultural community that is part of the Hungarian nation and a community with a strong regional sense and particular traditions which has kept its national identity and majority even when the people became a minority in their homeland of Szeklerland,

The Szekler National Council, having regard to the fact that:

The Szekler National Council, taking into account Recommendations nr. 1201/1993, nr.1334/2003, nr. 1811/2007 and the Resolution nr 508/1996 adopted by the Assembly of the Council of Europe, the provisions of the framework agreement concerning the protection of the national minorities and the Charter of Regional Autonomy in Europe,

In April 2004 the Szekler National Council initiated official local referendums regarding the territorial autonomy of Szeklerland, because the referendum, as the direct instrument of the democracy is the most authentic form of the expression of the will of a community. Before this the competent body of the Romanian Parliament refused the draft law on the territorial autonomy of Szeklerland arguing – among others – that according to the article nr. 20. of Law nr. 215/2001 on Local Administration, the borders of the administration units can be changed only after the population of the affected territories was consulted by a referendum.