Authors

Discussion

This article outlines the reactions of Szeklers, Eastern Europe's largest minority when pressured by two cross-directional stimuli: Hungarian kin-state politics and Romanian populist-nationalism. Building on the Triadic Nexus theory and the literature of minority enclaves, this study employs a telephone survey (N≤700). First, it examines how the populist-nationalist swing in Romania caused by the fight against the judiciary and the nationalist discourse affected the identity politics of the Széklers. Second, this study examined how Hungary's enterprises – facilitated by the political infights from Romania – to support the Hungarian cultural heritage in Széklerland affected the discourse of Széklers and instilled FIDESZ's historic viewpoints as a mnemonic hegemon. Three findings are expected. First, the populist-nationalism swing insulated further the Széklers from the Romanian government, whereas the memory politics of FIDESZ filled the ideological gap. Second, the attack on the judiciary in Romania is perceived negatively, whereas Hungary's is somewhat positive. Third, the kin-state politics of FIDESZ, composed of personalized histories, fashioned the mnemonic discourse of Széklers.