Fine for Singing the Hungarian Anthem in Romania

Marius Popica, Covasna County Prefect fined 5000 lei the Hungarian Civil Party (MPP) because the particpants of the commemorations of Trianon sang the Hungarian Anthem in Saint George, Kronika Online says.

The government trustee referred to a 2001-resolution of the Government, which supplemented the 1994/75 Law, according to which the anthem of another country can only be sang by the visit of a representative of the country.

According to Kronika Online, Zsolt Biro, president of the MPP said that government agency issued the report with a 6-month delay on 2 December , on that day when tha mayor’s office of Kezdivasarhely was also fined arguing that the city was not decorated enough with Romanian flags on 1 December. According to the party leader, the Prefect against the Hungarian community, it did not occured since the Regime Change that someone got fined for singing the Hungarian Anthem.

Biro says that the Prefect wants to take revenge because MPP drew attention to commit themselves to the promise made in Gyulafehervar in 1918, during their Saint George event in 29 November. He added that they would appeal the fine and inform the competent bodies of the European Union, the United States Embassy and the Federal Union of European Nationalities (FUEN) leaders as well about the infringement.

Marius Popica told the Kronika Online that the MPP could use the option of appeal. He also said that he wanted mutual respect and the compliance with the Law. He thought that the action of the MPP in 29 November did not make any sense and it would be similar if they would organize an event before 15 March.
Attila Varga constitutional lawyer, former Member of Parliament for the RMDSZ said that this Romanian law was inconsistent with the EU Law.