Tensions between UDMR and USR escalate as Csoma Botond mocks Cătălin Drulă over ‘Hungarian’ Facebook post

The quarrel between Romania’s UDMR and USR has intensified over a vote that reshaped the balance of positions in the Chamber of Deputies’ Permanent Bureau. UDMR lawmaker Csoma Botond responded to Cătălin Drulă with sarcasm, saying the former USR leader had suddenly “learned” Hungarian on Facebook.

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learned

The dispute began after UDMR voted alongside the parliamentary majority in the allocation of Bureau positions. USR accused UDMR of voting together with what it called a “toxic majority” made up of PSD and AUR.

Botond said UDMR had not signed the new agreement between PSD, AUR, S.O.S. Romania and the parliamentary group representing minorities. He said the party had instead voted pragmatically to preserve its quaestor position in the Chamber of Deputies. His explanation did not satisfy USR representatives.

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toxic majority

Drulă wrote that, after UDMR’s vote, extremist parties had four representatives in the Bureau, three from AUR and one from S.O.S., while USR and PNL had two. He also pointed to the parties’ parliamentary numbers, saying USR and PNL together had 94 deputies, compared with 75 for AUR and S.O.S.

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dear Hungarian friends, read to the end

Botond replied on Facebook that UDMR had already explained the constraints surrounding Tuesday’s vote. He criticized Drulă for addressing “dear Hungarian friends” in his message and recalled that USR and AUR had previously filed and supported a no-confidence motion against the Cîțu government together. Botond said he saw hypocrisy and a double standard in USR’s criticism.

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I perceive hypocrisy and a double standard in this case