Negotiating Bilateral Relations in Central and Eastern Europe: The Case of the Hungarian-Romanian Basic Treaty Negotiation

What is it about?

The study aims to analyze the Hungarian-Romanian bilateral negotiations in the 90s. Based on primary and secondary sources I presented how bilateral diplomacy worked, what strategies characterized the negotiation, and to what extent the domestic politics and the external actors influenced the outcomes of the negotiation. In most cases bilateral negotiation took place between two delegations, but as the Hungarian‒Romanian case shows, other actors such as Western states, European institutions, and the representatives of Hungarians in Romania (RMDSZ) have expressed an interest in the negotiation. Consequently, the negotiation became a multilevel game, where the US intervention was decisive in reaching an agreement. The negotiation is illustrative in the context of foreign policy change because the requirements for NATO enlargement changed the parties’ negotiation strategy and accession became a priority for both governments. These developments pointed out the impact of NATO conditionality and the primacy of stability and security issues over guaranteeing a comprehensive framework for minority rights. The signing of the treaty closed a controversial period in bilateral relations creating the opportunity for the co-optation of the RMDSZ in the government. However, the settlement of interstate disputes through the treaty proved superficial as minority question appear over and over again on the agenda of interstate relations as “unresolved” issues.

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