Székely people, the main Hungarian group within the Romanian provinces of Harghita, Covasna and Mureş, have demanded once more the central government to take steps to grant self-government for their territory and official status for their language. Around 300 Székely mayors and local councilors -most of them members of the Hungarian Civic Party- held on March 12 a symbolic event in which Hungarian was given official status and put on an equal footing with Romanian. A proposal to present the Romanian Parliament an autonomy plan was also agreed upon. They will ask the European Parliament to appoint an special envoy to watch over the issue and decided to declare March 15, the Hungarian National Day, bank holiday in the Székely territories.

According to the Székely National Council the decisions passed on March 12 are "legitimate" because they were adopted and will be implemented by local councilors who attended the event, Financiarul.ro informs.

In the meantime, Romanian Prime Minister Emil Boc discarded to make any concession arguing the Romanian Constitution "is not subject to negotiation". His colleague Minister of Interior and Administration, Vasile Blaga, said that mayors and local councilors gathered at Sfântu Gheorghe "do not represent any institution of the Romanian State".

Romanian organizations like the Vatra Romaneasca National Council have requested to ban the Democratic Union of Hungarians in Romania, the main Hungarian party in the country, on grounds it is a "terrorist and anti-Romanian organization".

Further information:

• SETimes.com: Szekler minority protests for autonomous status in Romania
• Adevarul.ro: Maghiara, limbă oficială între secui
• Ziare.com: Marko Bela: Maghiara ar trebui sa fie limba oficiala regionala