"Whoever loses has to open up to the other side"

Failure in the European Parliament elections would not bring the Romanian government down, according to Attila Korodi, the 30-year-old Romanian enviornment minister. One of his main tasks, he says, is to interdict the cyanized gold mining that has already poisoned the river Tisza once.

Does Laszlo Tokes's candidacy in the European Parliament elections mean the Hungarians of Transylvania will not be represented at all, or might both he and the Democratic Alliance of Hungarians in Romania gain representation?

A.K.: It would take 8 per cent of the vote for both of us to succeed, while Hungarians only make up 6.7 per cent of the Romanian population. With Viktor Orban's visits to Transylvania, the number of people who are voting Tokes for emotional reasons has grown, but I don't think the bishop has any chance of getting a seat in the EP. The RMDSZ does have a chance, however, especially if our local organisations work.

Regardless of the result, however, we have to rethink the basis of Transylvanian Hungarian politics. Whoever loses has to open up to the other side. A failure wouldn't undermine our role in government, although we would be more limited in what we could achieve in government. Interventions in Transylvanian Hungarian politics, whether from Budapest or Bucharest, are dangerous, and it is important for us to be represented in Brussels so people are aware we exist.

How much do EU criticisms influence Romanian domestic politics – whether these relate to the justice system or to mass migration?

A.K.: Officially, the Commission doesn't really attack Romania. It's the EP that makes criticisms. It's also relevant that the European People's Party is more interested in the Romanian Democratic Party, currently in opposition, which is larger in the region than Fidesz. Emigration is a major issue. There are at least a million Romanians each in Italy and Spain, although there are no official statistics – especially concerning how many of these people are Roma. But the whole of Europe must accept that many gypsies have been a migratory people for centuries. The Italians made a mistake by only waking up to the security implications very late in the day. In Romania, those social groups that contribute most of the emigration are less problematic from a public order point of view.

© Végel Dániel

Both Romania and Hungary saw at first hands the dangers of using cyanide for gold mining in 2000. What is the situation at Rosia Montana now? Will that vast goldmine be built, once again threatening both countries?

A.K.: Opinion polls show the vast majority – 82 per cent – are opposed to opening a mine in Rosia Montana. There is a range of plans, and civil society organisations are criticising them. The matter is before the courts. The Environment Ministry has suspended the authorisation process until the trial is over. The law forces me to do this, even though the Canadian company has sued the ministry and me personally for compensation.