Romania's Hungarian minority can't lose in elections

The Romanian daily Gandul takes a look at the chances of success of the Democratic Union of Hungarians in Romania (UDMR) in the upcoming parliamentary elections on November 30. "For the first time since its founding the Union ... is facing the prospect of not making the leap into parliament. To get seats in parliament it would have to win in almost all the constituencies in the majority Hungarian-speaking districts ... and other areas in Transylvania and surpass the 5 percent hurdle. But the UDMR has a new rival on its own turf. ... Although the PCM, the radical Hungarian Civic Party, is not competing directly against the UDMR in the elections, it is sending [independent] intermediaries into the election campaign. ... So even if the UDMR doesn't win any seats the Hungarian electorate will not lose out. Because Romanian candidates in the three districts of the so-called Szekler region have no prospect of success the votes will go to the candidates of the Hungarian minority. So in the end if it's not the one [Hungarian] party it's the other." 

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