The Székely National Council (SZNT), the main political organization of the Székely people, will ask local authorities in three regions of Eastern Transylvania (Covasna, Harghita, and Mureş), where the majority of Romania's Székely population lives, to hold a referendum on territorial autonomy. The date chosen for the public consultation is November 30, when state-wide parliamentary elections will also be held.

But if the plebiscite is to take place, the SZNT will have to convince the Romanian Parliament to approve a motion on Székely autonomy. According to Divers.ro, it is highly unlikely that the organizers of the campaign will manage to meet all the necessary requirements in time and so the referendum has very little chance of being declared binding.

Nevertheless, the SZNT has already circulated a draft proposal which states that the territorial autonomy of "Székely Land" - as they call the area once known as the Terra Siculorum - dates back to the year 1200, when the area had its own administrative institutions and special status. SZNT leaders have also emphasized that their proposal for "internal self-determination" according to the "principle of self-government" does not jeopardize the territorial integrity of Romania.

In 2005, the Democratic Union of Hungarians in Romania (RMDSz) presented a draft proposal on autonomy to the Romanian Parliament. But the proposal was rejected because "it was against the Constitution" and "attempted to create a separate state entity"

Hungarians constitute the largest minority in Romania. They represent 6.6% of the population, according to Minority Rights Group, and are concentrated in the centre of the country, in Transylvania. The Hungarian community tends to be divided into three different ethnic groups - the Magyars, the Székely and the Csángó - all of whom are Hungarian-speaking. The Székely are in the majority in Eastern Transylvania, in the regions of Harghita and Covasna, while smaller numbers are present in Mureş.

The SZNT is an organization dedicated to obtaining self-government for the Székely territories. Its claims are based on the autonomy the Székely people enjoyed during the Middle Ages but the organization also frequently draws comparisons with other stateless nations of Europe such as Catalonia and Scotland.

Further information:

• Divers.ro: The Secklers want a referendum for autonomy. On November 30th
• Székely National Council(SZNT)
  
• Democratic Union of Hungarians in Romania (RMDSz)