A blow to European nationalism

The nationalist quarrel between Hungary and Rumania is typical of the ethnic conflicts that have bubbled to the surface in Central Europe since the fall of communism. While rarely violent, it has been written off as one of those intractable hatreds history produces when ethnic and national boundaries do not match.

But now the countries have signed a treaty that may help end this feud. Support for the treaty in both nations also reflects a welcome turn away from ethnic hatred. While racist politicians are gaining strength in Western Europe, attacking ethnic minorities is no longer a good way to win votes in Hungary or Romania.

A desire to enter the European Union and NATO propelled both countries to negotiate the treaty. Both have been warned that neighborhood conflicts are a hurdle to membership.

Except for ethnic tensions, relations between Hungary and Rumania are friendly. Their militaries even train together. The new treaty will open avenues to economic, environmental and cultural cooperation. But in a singular achievement, Rumania pledges to respect the individual rights of its two million ethnic Hungarians, and Hungary renounces any claim on Romanian territory.

Hungary was an imperial power that once ruled a large swath of Central Europe and occupied parts of Romania during World War II. One-third of the world's Hungarians live outside the nation's current borders. Repression of Hungarians in Rumania is mild, but Hungarians chafe at threats and verbal attacks from nationalist politicians.

While no recent Hungarian government has pressed a claim on a neighbor's territory, nationalist politicians have made statements that others have taken as threats. Hungary's previous prime minister, Jozsef Antall, once said he considered himself prime minister of 15 million Hungarians, 5 million more than live in Hungary.

When Gyula Horn took over from Antall in 1994, he said he was prime minister of only 10 million Hungarians. He signed a cooperation treaty with neighboring Slovakia, where 600,000 Hungarians live. That treaty is already in trouble. Slovak nationalists have passed laws baiting ethnic Hungarians. Hungarians have made inflammatory statements about needing local autonomy.

The treaty with Rumania is more likely to work. It has a clause ruling out autonomy. In contrast to Slovakia, Rumania seems strongly committed to good relations. More than three- quarters of the people in both nations support the treaty, and nationalist parties have lost ground in recent years.

The two countries must now implement the treaty in good faith and extend their tolerance to more repressed minorities, like Gypsies. Then, an ominously nationalist Western Europe must match Hungary and Romania's achievement.

-- The New York Times