The second phase of the Romanian census, based on personal inquiries, continues to progress slowly, and as a result, more than 150,000 Hungarians may be left out of the census - warned the operators of the website Népställelás.ro, which provides information about the census and provides help to the population in Hungarian.
The announcement of the website launched by the Public Policy Analysis Center in Cluj-Napoca was published on Thursday by Hungarian newspapers in Transylvania.
According to the announcement, more than a week before the planned end of the census, about a quarter of the population estimated by the statistical institute is not yet registered. The situation in the counties with a significant Hungarian population is also unfavorable: 29 percent in Cluj County, 24 in Szatmár, 23 in Maros, 19 in Bihar, 18 in Szilágy, 17 in Hargita County, and 16 percent of the presumed population in Kovászna County have not been queried so far.
Analyzing the efficiency of Hungarian-inhabited settlements, it was determined that up to 150,000 Hungarians could be left out of this year's census if the pace of the census is not improved. Basically, there is a problem in the larger cities, but also in many villages, also in places where the number and proportion of the Hungarian population is significant. Among the cities with a significant Hungarian population, the following are weak: Timisoara (46 percent of the estimated population has not yet been "counted"), Cluj (38), Marosvásárhely (32), Gyergyószentmiklós (30), Csíkszereda (28), Szatmárnémeti (28), Arad (26), Brasó (24), Nagyvárad (23) - wrote the Néptellálás.ro team in its announcement.
The Hungarian population is asked to cooperate with the enumerator. They are accepted even if they have already participated in the self-filling phase, or they are called by phone if the interviewer did not find them at home, but left a knocking card.
Those who have not yet taken part in the census can report this to the county and regional organizations of the Romanian Hungarian Democratic Association (RMDSZ) in order to notify the enumerator of the district corresponding to their address, the working group pointed out. They add: from the end of the week, there will be another opportunity to register, as the statistical institute will reopen census points in those settlements where the local governments have requested it, and the enumerator will record the data there.
In Romania, the traditional personal inquiry period of the census ends on July 17, during which enumerators visit those who did not or incompletely fill out the census questionnaire online during the online self-filling period between March 14 and May 27.
Source: MTI
