Political Representation of Ethnic Minorities in Romania: Elections 2004
Political Representation of Ethnic Minorities in Romania: Elections 2004

Summary/Abstract: After briefly reviewing the situation in other Central and Eastern European countries, with all the appropriate theoretical and legislative annotations, the author looks into the mechanisms whereby the political representation of ethnic minorities is ensured in Romania, in the light of November 2004 general elections. The analysis then turns to several case studies, shaped by the decisions of the Central Electoral Bureau. One debate focuses on the applications of the representatives of non-Hungarian ethnic minorities to run in the elections (through a debatable system of positive discrimination) and the manner in which they have been considered; another case in point builds on the conflicts that arose among the Hungarian representatives. The author presents the highlights of the electoral campaign sponsored by several ethnic parties, continuing with a detailed picture of the 2004 parliamentary elections, in a comprehensive comparison to the previous elections. The results are interpreted in the light of the post-electoral negotiations, with a concluding discussion regarding the cartelisation of the ethnic-based Romanian parties.

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