The Szekler town of Sepsiszentgyörgy/Sfântu Gheorghe will host two main events on Friday, June 4. This day, the date of the signing of the Treaty of Trianon, is a day of mourning for the 1.2 million Hungarians living in Romania and, on the other hand, a reason for celebration for Romanians, since June 4 officially became a national holiday, thanks to a Social Democratic Party proposal accepted by parliament.
On Friday, June 4, 2021, Sepsiszentgyörgy will host events organized by both Hungarians and right-wing Romanians led by the Calea Neamului association, which has lately become known for the forced inauguration of the illegal concrete crosses assembled in the Úz Valley military graveyard. According to the association, the reason for choosing Sepsiszentgyörgy was “to crush the Hungarian hypnosis.” It is unclear what they mean by this statement, but it may sound appealing to all right-wing Romanians who don’t live in Transylvania.
The event organized by Hungarians will start at 5:30 p.m., local time, in downtown Sepsiszentgyörgy.
The main focus of the gathering is not to mourn the past but to heal the wounds caused by the Treaty of Trianon and look forward to the future,
Zoltán Gazda, the Szekler Council of Sepsi Chair, told Hungarian news portal Maszol. Aside from the speeches announced, the city center will also host an open-air exhibition about the events organized by the Szekler National Council, as captured by photographers Pál Péter Kerekes and Attila Toró.
József Kulcsár-Terza, Member of the Chamber of Deputies of Romania for the Democratic Alliance of Hungarians in Romania (known by its Hungarian acronym RMDSZ), asks those who can’t participate at the event to light a candle this Friday.
June 4 is a day of mourning and a day of national unity for all Hungarians,
Kulcsár-Terza said.
He recalls that June 4 has become a national holiday due to the proposal of the Social Democratic Party (PSD), but there is still a question mark concerning what this law is good for and whom it serves. We believe that they sought to offend us again, as we Hungarians have no reason to celebrate, as the promises made in Gyulafehérvár/Alba Iulia were not kept. We would feel like full citizens if we were free to use our language and symbols and if we had autonomy, but the Romanian authorities don’t want to speak about such things,” Kulcsár-Terza said, as cited by Maszol.
The main organizer of the Romanian gathering, Mihai Tîrnăveanu (his name may sound familiar because he was one of the key figures of the forced inauguration of the illegally placed concrete crosses for the alleged Romanian soldiers in the Úz Valley military graveyard), says that this year more Romanians will come to celebrate in Sepsiszentgyörgy.
According to Tîrnăveanu, the Calea Neamului association chose Sepsiszentgyörgy “to crush the Hungarian hypnosis.” He argues that in Kovászna/Covasna and Hargita/Harghita counties, there is only Hungarian cultural, social, religious, and economic life, hence the reason for Romanians from other counties to show up in the city.
Sepsiszentgyörgy Mayor Árpád Antal said that it’s obvious that the Calea Neamului association is attempting to provoke Hungarians living in the area. It would be best to hear from the Romanian community actually living here, which Tîrnăveanu and the whole right-wing Romanian associations and parties claim to represent.
Title image: Trianon monument in Hatvan, Hungary, symbolizing how Hungarians were torn from each other in 1920. (Photo: kozterkep.hu)
