ROMANIA AND HUNGARY IN THE CONTEXT OF 1989

The article below tackles the relations between Hungary and Romania in the context of the internal and external political developments of the two states during 1989. An old and historical rivalry regarding the historical ownership over Transylvania, taking a turn for the worse after 1918 and especially after 1945, would influence the 
relations between Budapest and Bucharest despite the fact that both states embraced the same ideology and social economic development model. The very good relations between the leaders in Budapest and those in the Kremlin, especially after 1956, would serve to uphold Hungary’s increasingly belligerent attitude towards Romania, having as a pretext the situation of the Hungarian minority in Romania. Hungary tried to take advantage of certain mechanisms of the Warsaw Treaty in order to internationalise this issue regarding the Hungarian minority, while the political regime of Nicolae Ceaușescu became increasingly isolated within the international relations arena. Nicolae Ceaușescu rejected any formula for reforming Romanian political and economic life and accused Hungary of taking part in an effort to destabilise socialist Romania through the help of intelligence and security services in partnership with the Soviets. The article tackles the various forms of Hungarian political-diplomatic involvement that ultimately led to the reaction of the regime in Bucharest, as well as the concern affecting the power structures (Securitate, Militia, Army) and the Romanian Communist Party regarding a potential uprising of the Hungarian minority together with a huge majority of the Romanian population, and more, which had become increasingly hostile towards the type of socialism promoted by Nicolae Ceaușescu.