“This is not a Hungarian victory over Romanians but a victory for all the inhabitants of Marosvásárhely/Târgu Mureș over the ‘Godfathers,'” the newly elected mayor of the city, Zoltán Soós, said in a bilingual speech announcing the highly anticipated results. The Democratic Alliance of Hungarians in Romania (known by its Hungarian acronym of RMDSZ) has strengthened its position in the county as well: Ferenc Péter obtained a majority of votes for the presidency of the Maros County Council, and the RMDSZ now has 40 mayors throughout the county.
Zoltán Soós achieved a resounding victory over his competitors. Of the 57,417 people who voted on this historic Sunday, 28,211 (50.54%) chose the change represented by Soós, an independent candidate for the mayor’s seat backed by Hungarian parties, and his team. His competitors Claudiu Maior (Pro Romania) and Theodora Benedek (PNL) obtained 7,611 and 5,899 votes, respectively.
“We exceeded the ethnic vote, and today we have shut down two decades of the Florea system.
We have shut down a system that took 20 years more than it should have been given. It inflicted serious wounds on the city’s body but did not hurt vital organs. It did not reach the brain or the heart, because today the people of Marosvásárhely voted with common sense and heart. Can you hear me, Vásárhely? Change has won!” Soós said in a bilingual press conference claiming his win.
He reminded those listening that the RMDSZ applied for the local council positions with a list of people who weren’t involved in the intrigues of the previous 20 years. “I don’t promise a new city but a new perspective for the people of Marosvásárhely. What we have won today is not a position but a responsibility to solve problems,” Soós said.
Marosvásárhely was 1,727 votes away from change four years ago: That was the number of invalid votes that skewed the balance in favor of Dorin Florea, who thus obtained his fifth mandate. During his leadership, the once flourishing city of Marosvásárhely has been overshadowed by interethnic intrigues, artificially sustained and propagated, while Florea and his right-hand man Claudiu Maior (the mayor’s adviser) silently switched to “manual control,” prioritizing their interests ahead of that of the city’s inhabitants.
The election of Zoltán Soós ends that era and opens the door to a most welcome change that shakes up the future of a city previously suffocated by personal interest.
Title image: The new mayor of Marosvásárhely / Târgu Mureș holds a bilingual press conference announcing his win. Image source: Maszol
