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05. 06. 12. - 15:00

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05. 06. 12. - 15:00

Tensions between Bucharest and Budapest grow deeper

Michael Leidig

Tensions between Romania and Hungary are growing deeper amid the controversial visit of the Speaker of the Hungarian Parliament, due to arrive later today in Targu Mures (West), local press informs.

Kover Laszlo is scheduled to take part at the closing of the electoral campaign of the Magyar Civil Party (MCP)whose honorary president he is, running for the June 10 municipal elections.

The two Speakers of the Romanian Parliament, Vasile Blaga and Roberta Anastase sent on Monday a letter to their Hungarian counterpart asking him to postpone his visit until  after the elections, considering that his involvement in the domestic democratic process is unproductive.

Kover replied saying that his visit is not intended to harm the Romanian-Hungarian relations, arguing that Romanian politicians also use to visit their communities abroad during electoral campaigns, both in Hungary and Moldova.

The visit by the Hungarian Speaker of Parliament to Targu Mures is not welcomed by the group of the Hungarians in Romanian legislative either. The leader of the Democratic Union of Hungarians in Romania (UDMR), a rival party of MCP in Targu Mures says Laszlo Kover should not be present in Romania during the electoral campaign.

"He shouldn't get involved in the electoral process in Romania, in our domestic competition. In my view, his visit harms the Romanian-Hungarian relations", Hunor Kelemen said.

Last weekend, the Romanian Interior Minister Ioan Rus toughened the tone against Budapest, saying that the Hungarian legislative Speaker might be declared "persona non grata".

The row between Bucharest and Budapest started after Hungary insisted to bury the remains of a former fascist poet in Romania. Bucharest opposed the transfer of the bodily remains of Nyirő József, an antisemitic and Nazi sympathizer in Ordoheiu Secuiesc (Western Romania).

Despite Romania's opposition, Budapest carried out the process of reburial, sending the remains of the former Nazi illegally to Romania, as the Speaker of the Hungarian parliament admitted.

According to Der Spiegel, the Hungarian official said that the ashes of the controversial Magyar poet had been introduced illegally in Romania, an operation that needed a 'conspiracy".

The tensions between the two neighbouring countries, which shared so far good relations, increased even more after Romanian Premier Victor Ponta snubbed Viktor Orban, while he was visiting Bucharest last weekend.

Orban was in Romania last Friday attending the conference "The friends of the Cohesion", gathering heads of governments from 15 EU countries as well as the president of the European Commission Jose Manuel Barosso who are backing up the continuation of the EU funding for the less developed EU members in order to boost jobs and economic growth.

Viktor Orban was received instead by president Traian Basescu.

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