Foreign Policy Review 6/2009. [antikvár]

Autonomy: The Path to Democracy and Stability in Romania Frank Koszorús, Jr. Introduction Central and Eastem European states are characterized by ethnic, linguistic, religious and cultural diversity. This rich diversity extends back centuries, long before nation states as we know them today existed, as different ethnic or national groups developed their separate identity, language and unique cultural heritage. Among the challenges confronting these groups is their ability to preserve their unique identity in states, such as Romania, which have adopted the nation-state model and are inhospitable toward the concept of minority rights, including autonomy. Romania, a relatively new country in Europe, acquired a large piece of territory after the First World War. This territory known as Transylvania had been associated with Hungárián history and culture for over a thousand years and was part of the Kingdom of Hungary for much of that time. One histórián characterized Transylvania as the "well-head of Magyar [Hungárián] culture and a symbol for centuries of Hungary's independence____"' The majority of Hungarians in Romania live in Transylvania where they make up approximately 19.3% of the population. A subgroup of Hungarians known as the Szekelys, live in a compact community in the Transylvanian Szekely Region. Hungarians alsó live outside of Transylvania in Bucharest, the capital of Romania, and in Moldavia, where another subgroup of Hungarians, the Csango community, can be found. In addition to the large number of ethnic Hungarians, Transylvania alsó counted a robust community of Saxons, or Germans, and ethnic Romanians among its inhabitants. Now that Central and Eastern Europe has been freed from the constraints of Communism, the unresolved challenge in somé of the countries is how they can transition into strong and genuine democracies where the rights of all their citizens are guaranteed regardless of their national, ethnic or religious background. These groups wish not only to be free from discrimination on account of their historical and cultural heritage,