| Revision as of 21:59, 16 November 2013 edit109.246.71.194 (talk) This article is unacceptably complaisant with a non-European fashist extremist politician. Before the Rumanian state has occupied Transylvania, Kolozsvar had an absolute ethnic majority (over 80%) of Hungarians, treating Rumanians as equal citizens.← Previous edit | Revision as of 17:11, 29 November 2013 edit undoGigiache (talk | contribs)1 editmNo edit summaryNext edit → | ||
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| While many voters may have claimed that they voted for him only due to his economic policies, Funar's views demonstrated that tensions over Transylvania's ethnic identity continued after the end of ] in Romania in 1989 and more than seventy years after Transylvania became part of Romania. His views were often manifested in public policy. Among many other measures seen by many as an affront to the original ethnic Hungarian community, Funar asked the municipality to paint many public items—including park benches, pavements and even garbage bins—in the colors of the ] (blue, yellow and red). At ] time, the municipality was allowed to use only red, yellow and blue ]{{Citation needed|date=November 2010}}. | While many voters may have claimed that they voted for him only due to his economic policies, Funar's views demonstrated that tensions over Transylvania's ethnic identity continued after the end of ] in Romania in 1989 and more than seventy years after Transylvania became part of Romania. His views were often manifested in public policy. Among many other measures seen by many as an affront to the original ethnic Hungarian community, Funar asked the municipality to paint many public items—including park benches, pavements and even garbage bins—in the colors of the ] (blue, yellow and red). At ] time, the municipality was allowed to use only red, yellow and blue ]{{Citation needed|date=November 2010}}. | ||
| In 1993, the city's central plaza, "Piața Libertății" (Liberty Square), was renamed "Piața Unirii" (Unification Square), to call to mind the 1918 unification of ] |
In 1993, the city's central plaza, "Piața Libertății" (Liberty Square), was renamed "Piața Unirii" (Unification Square), to call to mind the 1918 unification of ] to Romania. He changed the label of the statue of ] from "Matthias Rex Hungarorum" (Matthias King of Hungarians) to just "Matthias Rex". In September 1996, when Romania signed a friendship treaty with ], Funar organized a funeral ceremony on the streets of Cluj-Napoca. In 1997, he hung a banner in front of the Hungarian Consulate in Cluj saying "This is the seat of the Hungarian spies in Romania". Many of Funar's changes were reversed under the mayorship of his successor, ]{{Citation needed|date=November 2010}}. | ||
| Between 1992 and 1993, Funar supported a large-scale ] run by ], a company based in Cluj-Napoca. Funar helped Caritas build its credibility by renting space for it in the ], appearing with its owner in public and at on television, and defending the company from attacks.<ref>{{cite journal | first = Katherine | last = Verdery | title = Faith, Hope, and Caritas in the Land of the Pyramids: Romania, 1990 to 1994 | doi = 10.1017/S0010417500019903 | month = October | year = 1995 | volume = 37 | issue = 4 | page = 654 | work = ] | publisher = ] | location = ] | issn = 0010-4175 }}</ref> Funar also gave Caritas space in the local newspaper to list the names of the winners (amounting 44 pages in 1993) and lent him space at the local stadium to run his operations.<ref>{{cite news | url = http://www.nytimes.com/1993/11/13/business/pyramid-scheme-a-trap-for-many-romanians.html?sec=&spon=&pagewanted=all | title = Pyramid Scheme a Trap for Many Romanians | first = Jane | last = Perlez | authorlink = Jane Perlez | work = ] | date = 1993-11-13 | accessdate = 2010-04-23 }}</ref> | Between 1992 and 1993, Funar supported a large-scale ] run by ], a company based in Cluj-Napoca. Funar helped Caritas build its credibility by renting space for it in the ], appearing with its owner in public and at on television, and defending the company from attacks.<ref>{{cite journal | first = Katherine | last = Verdery | title = Faith, Hope, and Caritas in the Land of the Pyramids: Romania, 1990 to 1994 | doi = 10.1017/S0010417500019903 | month = October | year = 1995 | volume = 37 | issue = 4 | page = 654 | work = ] | publisher = ] | location = ] | issn = 0010-4175 }}</ref> Funar also gave Caritas space in the local newspaper to list the names of the winners (amounting 44 pages in 1993) and lent him space at the local stadium to run his operations.<ref>{{cite news | url = http://www.nytimes.com/1993/11/13/business/pyramid-scheme-a-trap-for-many-romanians.html?sec=&spon=&pagewanted=all | title = Pyramid Scheme a Trap for Many Romanians | first = Jane | last = Perlez | authorlink = Jane Perlez | work = ] | date = 1993-11-13 | accessdate = 2010-04-23 }}</ref> | ||
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Gheorghe Funar (b. September 29, 1949 in Sânnicolau Mare) is a nationalist Romanian politician, who rose to fame as mayor of Cluj-Napoca between 1992 and 2004
Biography
He became well known for his very strong nationalist stance favoring ethnic Romanians in Cluj-Napoca, which is a multi-ethnic city with a raising ethnic Romanian majority (80.8%) and a significant ethnic Hungarian population (17.1%). Other ethnic groups include Roma and Germans. Cluj-Napoca is considered to be the capital city of Transylvania, a historical region within Romania.
Funar was a candidate for presidency for the Romanian National Unity Party (PUNR) in 1992 and 1996. In 1997, after he was expelled from PUNR, he joined the far-right Greater Romania Party. Funar lost the Cluj-Napoca mayoral elections in the first round in 2004. Emil Boc of the Justice and Truth Alliance won the elections during the second round run-off elections against Social Democratic Party (PSD) candidate Ioan Rus. He ran again in 2008, coming in fourth with 4.2% of the vote.
Funar is currently the General Secretary of the Greater Romania Party and is a Member of Parliament. Among his proposals in parliament is the distribution of Romanian-language Bibles to all citizens, and the raising of a statue of Mihai Eminescu in every commune.
He is married to Sabina Funar, a professor at the University of Agricultural Sciences and Veterinary Medicine in Cluj-Napoca.
Mayorship of Cluj-Napoca
While many voters may have claimed that they voted for him only due to his economic policies, Funar's views demonstrated that tensions over Transylvania's ethnic identity continued after the end of Communism in Romania in 1989 and more than seventy years after Transylvania became part of Romania. His views were often manifested in public policy. Among many other measures seen by many as an affront to the original ethnic Hungarian community, Funar asked the municipality to paint many public items—including park benches, pavements and even garbage bins—in the colors of the Romanian flag (blue, yellow and red). At Christmas time, the municipality was allowed to use only red, yellow and blue Christmas lights.
In 1993, the city's central plaza, "Piața Libertății" (Liberty Square), was renamed "Piața Unirii" (Unification Square), to call to mind the 1918 unification of Transylvania to Romania. He changed the label of the statue of Matthias Corvinus from "Matthias Rex Hungarorum" (Matthias King of Hungarians) to just "Matthias Rex". In September 1996, when Romania signed a friendship treaty with Hungary, Funar organized a funeral ceremony on the streets of Cluj-Napoca. In 1997, he hung a banner in front of the Hungarian Consulate in Cluj saying "This is the seat of the Hungarian spies in Romania". Many of Funar's changes were reversed under the mayorship of his successor, Emil Boc.
Between 1992 and 1993, Funar supported a large-scale Ponzi scheme run by Caritas, a company based in Cluj-Napoca. Funar helped Caritas build its credibility by renting space for it in the town hall, appearing with its owner in public and at on television, and defending the company from attacks. Funar also gave Caritas space in the local newspaper to list the names of the winners (amounting 44 pages in 1993) and lent him space at the local stadium to run his operations.
See also
Notes
- Template:Ro icon "Rezultatele alegerilor locale din principalele oraşe ale ţării", realitatea.net, 6 June 2008
- Verdery, Katherine (1995). "Faith, Hope, and Caritas in the Land of the Pyramids: Romania, 1990 to 1994". Comparative Studies in Society and History. 37 (4). Cambridge: Cambridge University Press: 654. doi:10.1017/S0010417500019903. ISSN 0010-4175.
{{cite journal}}: Unknown parameter|month=ignored (help) - Perlez, Jane (1993-11-13). "Pyramid Scheme a Trap for Many Romanians". New York Times. Retrieved 2010-04-23.
References
- Nick Thorpe, Hungarians unwanted in Romania census, BBC News, 2002. Retrieved March 5, 2006.
External links
- BBC News – Mayor paints town red - and yellow and blue
- BBC World Service – Letters from Budapest: Nick Thorpe on the right to say 'yes' – about a marrying couple getting in trouble by saying "yes" to each other in their own language (Cluj, 2002).