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The United Nations General Assembly on minorities, adopted on 18 December 1992 the Declaration on the Rights of Persons Belonging to National, Ethnic, Linguistic and Religious Minorities as an international document guaranteeing the rights of minorities in general, throughout the world.

In alignment with this commitment to minority rights, Romania commemorates the Day of National Minorities on 18 December annually.

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Legal framework

domestic (Romanian Constitution, Law No 86 on the Status of Minority Nationalities, Romanian Government Declaration on National Minorities, Romanian Government Decision on the organisation and functioning of the Council for National Minorities No 137 of 6 April 1993, Order No 513 on the rights of national minorities, etc.)
and international acts (United Nations Charter, Universal Declaration of Human Rights, Convention against Discrimination in Education, Charter of Paris for a New Europe, Council of Europe Recommendation 1134 (1990) on minority rights, Recommendation 1177 on minority rights, European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages, Charter on Citizenship and Minority Rights in the European Union)

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Demographics of Minority Groups in Romania

According to the 2011 census, the minority population constitutes approximately 11% of Romania's total population of 20.1 million.

Major minority groups include:

Hungarian: 1.23 million inhabitants (about 58.9% of all minorities)

Roma: 0.62 million (29.8% of minorities)

Smaller minority groups include:

Ukrainians: 50.9 thousand inhabitants (2.44% of minorities)

Germans: 36,000 (1.73%)

Turks: 27.7 thousand (1.33%)

Russians-Lippovians: 23.49 thousand (1.13%)

Less than 1% representation: Tatars, Serbs, Slovaks, Bulgarians, Croats, Greeks, Jews, Italians, Poles, Czechs, Bosnians, and others.

Additionally, Romania is home to communities of Arabs, Afro-Romanians, Chinese, Vietnamese, Indians, Pakistanis, and more.

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Parliament

At present, 17 minorities have an ex officio MP and the largest Hungarian party, the Hungarian Democratic Union of Romania (UDMR/RMDSZ) has 21 MP seats (6.19%) and 9 senator seats (6.24%).

Ethnic communities in Romania are represented in Parliament by the following parties, associations and political groups:

1. Hungarian Democratic Union of Romania;

2. Union of Armenians of Romania;

3. Democratic Union of Turkish Muslim Tatars in Romania;

4. Turkish Democratic Union of Romania;

5. Union of Poles in Romania (Dom Polski);

6. Association of Italians in Romania;

7. Union of Ukrainians in Romania;

8. Association of Macedonians in Romania;

9. Cultural Union of the Ruthenians of Romania;

10. Democratic Forum of Germans in Romania;

11. Union of Serbs in Romania;

12. Community of Russian Lipovenes in Romania;

13. Association of the Albanian League of Romania;

14. Democratic Union of Slovaks and Czechs in Romania;

15. Bulgarian Union of Banat-Romania;

16. Association of Roma Pro-Europe Party;

17. Union of Croats in Romania;

18. Federation of Jewish Communities in Romania;

19. The Hellenic Union of Romania.

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Electoral Law and Minority Representation in Romania

The Electoral Law in Romania officially recognizes national minorities and provides specific facilities and guarantees for their representation in the Romanian Parliament and local public administrations.
Special mandates are allocated for national minorities unable to reach the electoral threshold individually, ensuring their presence and participation in parliament, thereby contributing to national-level political decision-making.

The Election Law grants minorities the right to conduct election campaigns in their mother tongue and establishes provisions for special polling stations staffed with individuals fluent in minority languages to facilitate voting rights.

Despite these provisions, criticisms of the electoral system exist regarding minority representation, particularly concerning the calculation of special mandates. Some groups argue that the current system falls short in ensuring adequate minority representation in decision-making bodies.

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Structures representing minorities in Romania:

1. Council of Minorities in Romania (CMR):

Resulting from direct elections of minority representatives, acts as a consultative body of the Parliament

Role to represent and protect the interests of ethnic minorities

2. Non-governmental organisations (NGOs), representing certain minorities (Democratic Union of Turkish-Muslim Tatars in Romania, Association of Transylvanian Hungarians, etc.)

Role to promote and protect the specific rights and interests of a particular minority

3. Political parties representing specific minorities (Democratic Party of the Germans in Romania, Social Democratic Party of the Turkish Minority in Romania, etc.)

Role to promote and protect the specific rights and interests of a particular minority in the political process

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Structures representing minorities in Romania:

4. Cultural and educational associations of minorities (Cultural Union of the Ruthenians in Romania, Union of the Albanians in Romania, etc.)

Role to promote and preserve the cultural and linguistic identity of a specific minority, as well as to provide educational and cultural services to members of the community

5. Governmental and local institutions responsible for minority issues (Department for Interethnic Relations, Directorate-General for Minorities and Relations with Parliament, Minority County Councils, etc.)

Role to formulate and implement government policies and programmes for the promotion and protection of minority rights

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We started this process in Timiș to better understand how the Minorities Council can improve its effectiveness and better fulfil its role in representing and protecting minority rights. The main issue was to identify methods and strategies to create a more effective dialogue between the Council, authorities and minority communities.

WHY?

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We started by analysing the current situation of the Minorities Council, including its structure, decision-making processes and relations with other institutions and minority communities. We also examined the experiences and practices of other countries with regard to minority councils or similar minority representation mechanisms.

HOW?

The consultation involved extensive consultations with Council members, representatives of minority communities, relevant non-governmental organisations . We held meetings, debates and surveys to obtain feedback and identify key priorities and needs.

The main stakeholders involved were Minority Council members, representatives of minority communities, non-governmental organisations and other policy makers involved in minority rights policies.

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Some things that did not work as planned included difficulties in building consensus among stakeholders, sometimes due to significant differences of opinion or priorities. Also, limited resources and collaboration between different institutions were sometimes obstacles.

One of the major difficulties has been managing the diversity of views and interests between different minority groups and between them and the authorities. A balanced and sensitive approach is needed to ensure adequate representation of all stakeholders.

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The value along the way has been in obtaining valuable feedback and input from stakeholders, and in identifying creative and sustainable solutions to address the problems identified.

Next steps could include further dialogue and collaboration between all stakeholders, strengthening mechanisms for minority representation and consultation, and implementing concrete strategies to address minority needs and concerns. It is also important to regularly monitor and evaluate progress and make adjustments accordingly.

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Things that worked well included creating a space for open and constructive dialogue between stakeholders, identifying and prioritizing key issues having a twofold approach this resulting in building a mindset of openness, diversity, acceptance.

actively involving minority communities in the decision-making process:

During the elaboration of the Integrated Strategy for Economic and Social Development of Timis County 2021-2027 and the future Strategy for Intercultural Integration

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using culture as link between communities:

2.1. local/regional authorities financing cultural events

2.2. minorities organizing in cooperation with authorities dedicated events for minorities

2.3. at the core of the bid book for Timisoara 2023 European Capital of Culture was mutual recognition and respect that are at the core of the city's intercultural, multi-confessional and entrepreneurial community. Over 30 different cultures have lived here side by side for centuries, including Romanians, Germans, Hungarians, Serbians, Croats, Italians, Spaniards, and Bulgarians. Also, Orthodox, Catholics, Jews, Protestants, Lutherans, Reformists, Muslims and other religions worship freely in our region. Here, 'tolerance' has come to mean 'community'.

2.4. the complex cultural phenomenon that historically defines the Banat region and Timis County through multiculturalism, interculturalism, multi-ethnicity, multilingualism. The European slogan "unity through diversity" is very representative for our area.

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The World Day for Cultural Diversity for Dialogue and Development is celebrated every year on 21 May to recognise and rejoice the diversity among us. Timiș was involved in the campaign of 2021.

can check it out : https://www.coe.int/en/web/interculturalcities/wd-cddd-21-timisoara

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The World Day for Cultural Diversity for Dialogue and Development

Annually, 16 May marks the International Day for Peaceful Coexistence, adopted by the United Nations General Assembly. In 2022 Timis County Council joins the initiative of the European Committee of the Regions, where the film "All of Us" was screened on 16 May, on the occasion of the United Nations 5th International Day of Peaceful Coexistence. It promotes non-discrimination, respect for human rights and peaceful coexistence of all members of society.

The film was screened in the Timis County Council's Multipurpose Hall and broadcasted at TVR TIMIȘOARA, the Territorial Studio of the Romanian Television Company.

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Since 2022 we are involved in EU-BELONG

main objective

Intercultural integration strategy for Timiș

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Successful Strategies for Fostering Inclusivity and Diversity

Creating a space for open and constructive dialogue among stakeholders and prioritizing key issues with a twofold approach has fostered a mindset of openness, diversity, and acceptance.

Actively involving minority communities in decision-making:Notable examples include the participation of minority communities in the development of the Integrated Strategy for Economic and Social Development of Timis County 2021-2027 and the forthcoming Strategy for Intercultural Integration.

Utilizing culture as a bridge between communities:

Local and regional authorities financing cultural events.

Collaboration between minorities and authorities to organize dedicated events for minority groups.

In the bid book for Timisoara 2023 European Capital of Culture, emphasis was placed on mutual recognition and respect, highlighting the city's intercultural, multi-confessional, and entrepreneurial community. Timisoara boasts over 30 different cultures coexisting for centuries, including Romanians, Germans, Hungarians, Serbians, Croats, Italians, Spaniards, and Bulgarians. Various religions, such as Orthodox, Catholics, Jews, Protestants, Lutherans, Reformists, Muslims, and others, worship freely in the region, where 'tolerance' embodies a sense of community.

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Successful Strategies for Fostering Inclusivity and Diversity

Embracing the complex cultural phenomenon that historically defines the Banat region and Timis County through multiculturalism, interculturalism, multi-ethnicity, and multilingualism. The European slogan "unity through diversity" resonates strongly in our area.

These strategies exemplify successful approaches to promoting inclusivity, unity, and mutual respect, demonstrating the richness of diversity in our community and region.

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Intercultural Integration: A Shared Journey towards Equality and Belonging

EU-BELONG Transnational Knowledge Sharing Event 19-21 March, Letterkenny (Ireland)

Listening better to improve policymaking: the case of the Timis Minority Council:

Agneta Kardos: agneta.kardos@cjtimis.ro

THANK YOU!