One of the most striking experiences of the seven years behind László Tóth is the broadening and deepening of relations between the Hungarians of the motherland and Székelyföld.
Székely society has undergone a marked development in recent years, this process must definitely be maintained, we must strive to continuously improve living conditions, so that young people stay at home and plan their future here - said László Tóth in his "farewell" interview to Székelyhon, The Consul General of Hungary in Csikszereda, who returns to Budapest after seven years of service abroad.
László Tóth told the newspaper: he arrived in the city in 2017, and many things have happened since then.
"I look back on the first days, the city, the people with a grateful heart. And as is usually the case, I was naturally full of anticipation and excitement caused by the new situation and the new challenge. The city was very welcoming and attractive from the first minute. After Budapest, literally everything was very close: the apartment, the office, the school, the convenience store, and the people were open and friendly," said László Tóth.
According to the diplomat, being a diplomat at the Consulate General in Csíkszereda or any other Hungarian foreign mission in the Carpathian Basin is a unique service, which is largely determined by the environment, the presence of native Hungarians in the given area.
"This is even more true here in Székelyföld, as the largest expatriate Hungarian community lives here in one block, which, in addition to setting a strong profile for the activity, in everyday life really provides a sense of homeliness, as he put it, as if he were living in a rural Hungarian settlement , one would work".
László Tóth said the following about how the coronavirus epidemic or the Russian-Ukrainian war affected his work:
"Just like any other institution, or like our daily lives as individuals, it greatly influences it. The fact that two such major crises were superimposed on each other only intensified the negative consequences. The coronavirus epidemic has caused a sharp break in our activities, especially in customer reception and contact with people, which is the backbone of our work. But it significantly reduced our event organizing activities, as well as institutional relations. The outbreak of the war, albeit from a different point of view, had similarly negative consequences".
According to the outgoing diplomat, the political culture in Romania is significantly different from the Hungarian one, so anyone who does not know and understand this cannot, by definition, feel at home in it.
"I grew up here, I went to school here, in Marosvásárhely, I also had Romanian friends on the street, so it is easier for me to recognize, as they say, the political environment on the Dâmbovița coast, which helped me a lot during my work. In my opinion, the balance of the government role of the RMDSZ is very positive, from all aspects: if we look at the living conditions of the Hungarians in Székelyföld and Transylvania, the investments in the regions inhabited by Hungarians, the realized developments, and also if we analyze the development of relations between the two states, Hungary and Romania. .
László Tóth stated: one of the most striking experiences of the seven years behind him is the broadening and deepening of relations between the Hungarians of the motherland and Székelyföld, which he considers extremely important.
"The Consulate General also took part in this, we organized many cultural or sports events, and on our national or church holidays we tried to get involved in the events as much as possible, to appear and be together as a representative of the Hungarian state. The same goes for major cultural or community events - it is now unthinkable at a daily poetry reading marathon, Székelyföld municipal football tournament, Csíki Majális or Vásárhelyi Forgatag without the active participation of the Consulate General".
About his own work, László Tóth said: the focus of the task was simplified naturalization and related tasks.
As the years went by, the number of Hungarian citizens in Székelyföld, who manage their affairs related to Hungarian citizenship at the consulate general, also increased naturally. "We tried to provide them with a friendly environment, and as far as the administration itself is concerned, we have made a lot of progress, since the Hungarian public administration has undergone significant development in recent years, the processes have become much simpler, and this is also visible in the administration of the Consulate General. With the exception of the years of the coronavirus epidemic, the number of people turning to us has increased year by year, which is a gratifying development, as it also shows that the public law bond between the Hungarians of Székelyföld and the Hungarian state has become closer.
The Székely society has undergone a marked development in recent years, with significant infrastructural developments, strengthening institutions, and social cohesion - pointed out the diplomat, who believes that this process must be maintained.
"We must strive to continuously improve living conditions, so that young people stay at home and plan their future here. I think that we can be confident, since the foundations are strong: a strong institutional system has been built, the community's assets have increased, and the value debate taking place globally, especially in Europe, has not been able to have an impact here, it can be said that the state of mind of the community is also stable".
Cover image: László Tóth: One of the most striking experiences of the seven years behind me is the broadening and deepening of relations between the Hungarians of the motherland and Székelyföld
Source: Székelyhon.ro/ Attila Pinti
