Legislative elections will take place in Romania on 28 November and parties representing the Hungarian minority are hoping to avoid being excluded from parliament. Despite a troubled relationship in the past, the two main parties of Transylvanian Hungarians, the Democratic Union of Hungarians in Romania (UDMR) and the Hungarian Civic Party (PCM), are to form an alliance in order to pass the 5% threshold needed to enter parliament.

Under Romanian electoral law, the Hungarian parties are more or less obliged to present a single candidature if they are to stand any chance of success. The legislation stipulates that only parties gaining at least 5% of total suffrage may enter the Romanian Parliament.

In the 2004 elections, UDMR managed to reach the 5% threshold, winning 6.2% of the votes, mainly in Transylvania (compare the map of electoral results by constituency - UDMR successes in green - with the map showing ethnic distribution in Transylvania). Four years ago, however, PCM did not exist. The party was set up by Magyars who believe UDMR policies are too soft. PCM advocates political autonomy for Székelyföld, an area of eastern Transylvania with a majority Hungarian population, while UDMR calls for more moderate decentralization and focuses on cultural rights.

Polls reveal that separate candidatures would be a failure

If UDMR and PCM presented separate candidatures in the elections, the latter would almost certainly fail to achieve 5% (polls put them at 1%) but would succeed in hampering UDMR's efforts. UDMR is predicted to win 4 to 5% of the vote and therefore runs a high risk of being excluded from the Romanian Parliament. PCM voters could thus be crucial if the Hungarian population is to be represented in Bucharest.

At the end of July, as the weekly newspaper Divers.ro explains, leaders of both parties agreed to join forces for the elections. Instead of forming a standard coalition, both agreed that PCM would not run in the elections but members of the party would instead appear on the UDMR lists. The newspaper Evenimentul Zileiclaims that discussions are currently under way as to how parliamentary seats would be distributed. UDMR has offered 5 seats to PCM, but PCM wants 6 on the basis that UDMR won 32 seats in 2004 (22 in the Chamber of Deputies and 10 in the Senate).

Further information:

• Româniă Libera: Coalitie UDMR-PCM pentru parlamentare
• Divers.ro: Hungarian Parties Ready to Cooperate, But...
• Cotidianul: Negocierile UDMR-PCM s-au împotmolit din nou, la stabilirea numărului de candidaţi ai fiecăruia