Romania’s accession to the European Union

The Foundation Studium Academicum arrived to a new chapter in the cooperation with the SGP by conference with the theme “Queuing and possibilities after joining Rumanians to the EU” organised at 13th of October.

After the opening words and greetings at the conference organised in congregation room in Fugyivásárhely was hold the devotion by rev. Borzási Gyula. The lectures and the discussion were moderated by rev. Csernák Béla.   

First of all Henk Jan van Schothorst - member a the foreign affairs committee of EU - have presented the main periods of the European Union, and he have cleared the circumstances where Rumania and Bulgaria have succeed to join in the right time to the member states.        

In the lecture “The report of the European Commission about accepting Rumania in full membership of the EU”  he called the attention upon the difficulties which the joining desire countries have to cope with. In the opinion of Mr. Schothrst that needs very much effort because the citizens of the member states are lucking with even more reserve at the joining intention of the countries out of the European Union. 

Where is the place, and what should be the role of the church and within of the help organisations in the European Union? Along of this question treated Balogh Barnabás his lecture “The tasks and future of the help organisations in Rumania after joining to the uropean Union”. In this he have taken in consideration the extremely important role of the service of the church.   

As he said in the European Union will be also social needy people, even more, the precipice between some of the social levels will grow. Above this precipice has to be stretched that social net to which the charity work of the church has to be one of the most important link.  

The detection of it is not just an interest of the church, but also of the state and the reach people. The Reformed Church of Romania has to develop its charity work in the European Union regarding to this standpoint.

The two presentation connected questions and remarks from the row of audience have shaded the in the lectures mentioned problems.  

After a short coffee break Rinus Houtman - the former governor of south Netherlands - have spoken about on his personal experience based specialities of the minority question in the Netherlands.

He has in his lecture “Regional minority policy” accentuated, that the minorities in Netherlands are the descendants of the immigrated people, whom integration in the every day life in the Netherlands have many problems involved, which is caused by the different cultural and national traditions.

As governor he have announced and realized many programs which were serving this goal. They tried to contribute to the efficiency of finding the own place of the minorities in the society with residence, educational and language programs.

He have indicated that where this doesn’t functioned the criminality and the consume of drugs was drastic growing. The avoid this problem, and to ease the tension of society - in the opinion of our lecturer - the actions has to be continued, and has to be completed with new programs. The originality and the honest intonation of the lecture have large popularity attained in the row of the audience.

The main role in the lecture “The future of the minorities, of politics and of economics in Rumania after joining to the European Union” from Markó Béla - the vice minister president Rumanians - was the questions of minorities in Rumania. He has accentuated that this minority, as state-creating factor is different in his origin and quality from the minorities in the Netherlands.

He have mentioned the fears, that after the joining to the European Union will result a rigidity concerning the minority questions, and the Hungarian community in Rumania will remain with that what was realised before the EU membership.

In the opinion of the lecturer there is not so, the minority question is a process where after the joining is also possible to correct the situation of the affected collectives. They are some questions, which will be after the joining by oneself solved, and on others has to be hard worked. With the fleeting of the borders the problem of the reunion of the Hungarians it seems to be resolved and in the same time the autonomy of the Székely land is keeping us waiting, but it will come to the target.   

Thereupon the participants could call upon to the lecturers with their questions, which have resulted the better understanding of some detailed questions. The speakers and the answerers were agree with that in the questions of the minorities is still many uncertainty and fear, but hopefully the European Union will assure a correspondent framework to resolve friendly and satisfyingly this problems.

After the closing of the conference the discussion of the approximately 30 participants was continued at the informally table.