National Identity in Romania
National Identity and the Other in Romania
National Identity is how we see ourselves as members of a nation or how we see others as members of a certain nation. It is the idea of what makes a certain nation unique. National Identity can consist of traditions, rituals, religion, language and other identifying factors. A nation may also consist of multiple identities. Take America as an example, the US is a country made up of many different ethnicities, races, religions and cultures. However, there can be things that can threaten a Nation’s identity. These are called the “significant others”. Significant others can pose as a threat if they come into a country that has an established traditional identity. When a nation is unstable that is when it becomes the most threatened by significant others. Significant others can be described as another nation or ethnic group that is territorially close to, or indeed within, the national community and threatens, or rather is perceived to threaten, its ethnic and/or cultural purity and/or its independence (Traindafyllidou 1998).
So how does this tie into Romania? Well Romania does in fact does have somewhat of its own specific identity but has gone through a lot of changes over the years. Between borders, allies and relationships a lot has changed over the last century. Romania is known for its deep-rooted faith in the Romanian Orthodox Church. Over eighty percent of the population associates with the Orthodox Church. The main language spoken is Romanian. The Romanian language descends from Latin and is considered an eastern romance language. The first Romanian state was created after the first world war. Romania was under communist control in 1944 King Michael took dictatorship over the country. During the second world war it is found that Romanian officials were responsible for between 280,000-380,000 Jewish deaths (US department of State 2001). The Hungarian, German and Gypsie minority groups didn’t forget about these horrors that Romanian officials inflicted on their people. Around 1950 Romania’s communist party started to gain some independence from the Soviet Union. Communism dissolved out of Romania in 1989. Around 1990 Hungarians were the largest ethnic minority living in Romania. They organized themselves as the Democratic Union of the Hungarians from Romania. (North Atlantic Fellowship Program 1996-1998).
Anna Triandafyllidou explains different types of significant others in her article. The first type of significant other is the external significant other. External significant others include outside dominant nations, ethnic groups, or rival nations. The second type is what is called an internal significant other. An internal significant other would be an ethnic minority within the nation that has a distinct culture or a different established language. Another example of an internal would be an immigrant community. A small nation existing within a larger multinational state may also be perceived as an internal significant other. (Triandafyllidou 1998).
In Romania there is an internal significant other. This group would be Hungarians in Romania. Hungarians are the largest minority group in Romania. Almost two million Hungarians live in Romania, making up 7.8 percent of the population. The Hungarians have been a minority in Romania for about a century ever since the borders shifted and Romania and Ukraine took over some land in 1919. (Cambridge University 2018). Since the establishment of the first democratic parliament after 1989, the political representatives of the Hungarians in Romania have fought for an alleged right to self-determination of the Hungarian population, every four years submitting a bill that would provide extended territorial autonomy in Transylvania for those localities in which more than 50 percent of Hungarians live (Gabriel-Done 2020). Again in 1990 the Hungarian minority suggested they re-annex Transylvania since it was once Hungarian territory and remove themselves from Romania.
Triandafyllidou also talks about another kind of significant other. This would be the external significant other, which consists of outside dominate nations or ethnic groups. Romania and Hungary’s foreign relationship could be considered an external significant other. In 2001 Hungary adopted a new legislation status on ethnic Hungarians in neighboring countries. This law became a big threat to Stable relations between Hungary and Romania. The new law suggests that certain health, education, transportation and employment benefits will extent out to ethnic Hungarians in neighboring non-EU countries. Which included Romania. The Romania government fired back saying that the law would not be valid in EU member states because it is considered discriminatory so why should it be allowed in Romania. (Ram 2001).
Another external issue is between Moldova and Romania. Due to their very similar history with a similar language and even very similar national symbols and flags. Moldovan officials perceive Romania as a threat because of their own identity problems. Moldova has made is clear they do not wish to follow the Romanian ways. (Heintz 2020). Why is this relationship between Moldova and Romania so rocky? Here’s why. From the 14th to the 19th century this modern-day region was divided into three main kingdoms, Moldova, Walachia and Transylvania. In the 19th century Moldova got overtaken by the Russian Bessarabia. Then after the first world war Transylvania and Bessarabia decided to unify with Romania. During that time the Greater Romania now had territory of the modern-day Republic of Moldova and some of Ukraine. In 1939 the Soviets took over Bessarabia without a fight from Romania. The Romanian elites such as teachers, priests and administration got to flee safely while other were deported to Siberia. Then shortly after the Romanians joined forces with the Germans who were in conflict with the USSR, who Moldova was joined with. The Moldovans were portrayed as a separate ethnic group from the Romanians. Two countries who once spoke the same language. Now Moldovans were forced to speak a different language and forced to write in Cyrillic to differ from the Romanian language. (Heintz 2020).
To conclude, Romania doesn’t have a super unique National Identity, but it does have one. A prominent Eastern Orthodox religion, where over eighty percent of the population participates in and some very complex history. As shown in previous paragraphs they have a rough relationship with Hungarian minorities in their country. The Hungarians pose as an internal threat because of their continuous fight for rights in Romania. The also have external conflicts with Hungary and Moldova, these issues also have a lot of history behind them as well, which can be a lot of information to take in. A lot of border changes and changes over power have existed within these territories over time, which can make it hard to grasp certain historical events that took place between these countries.
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References
Adams, K. (2016). God, Mythology, Nationalism and Romanian Identity. The Past Communist Transition to Democracy. Retrieved Feburary 4th, 2023. https://udspace.udel.edu/items/3bcc0f5f-dce4-447f-85ff-f1f194f19e1d
Cambridge University Press. (2018). The Position of Hungarians in Romania and Slovakia in 1996. Retrieved February 3rd, 2023. https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/nationalities-papers/article/abs/position-of-hungarians-in-romania-and-slovakia-in-1996/CE844456D5DD3FD1CE60ED4AFBEBA6B3
Gabriel-Done, C. (2020). Confronting Nationalism. Romania and the Autonomy of the Romanian-Hungarians. Retrieved Feburary 1st, 2023https://www.europenowjournal.org/2020/08/02/confronting-nationalisms-romania-and-the-autonomy-of-the-romanian-hungarians/
Heintz,M. (2020). Republic of Moldova Versus Romania. The Cold War of National Identities. (1) Romanian Review of Political Sciences and International Relations. https://repository.library.fresnostate.edu/bitstream/handle/10211.3/189702/Ram%20Minority%20Relations%20in%20Multiethnic%20Societies.pdf?sequence=1
North Atlantic Fellowship Program. (1996). Nationalism in Romania. Possible Ways to Declare Ways to Decrease the Nationalist Behavior and the Public Support for Nationalist Parties https://www.nato.int/acad/fellow/96-98/badila.pdf
Triandafyllidou, A. (1998). National Identity and the ‘Other’. Ethnic and Racial Studies. https://seattleu.instructure.com/courses/1606508/pages/temporary-link-to-triandafyllidou-1998?module_item_id=17759199
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U.S. Department of State. (2008). Retrieved Feburary 2nd, 2023
https://2001-2009.state.gov/r/pa/ei/bgn/35722.htm
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