ABSTRACT
This chapter explores public discourse as a key determinant of identity politics in multi-ethnic societies with a history of contested border changes. The objective was to review the, implicit or explicit, influence of borders for the development of inter-ethnic relations between Romanian and Hungarians during three historical periods: inter-war, communist, and post-communist. The end of the First World War brought about significant territorial changes in Europe. Romania doubled its territory and population, and was consequently faced with major social, economic, and political challenges. The nationalizing practices and the discursive reactions of Romanian political elites reinforced antagonisms and continued to escalate under the pressure of external developments during the 1930s. The influence of the Democratic Union of Hungarians in Romania (UDMR) was decisive for the expansion and consolidation of minority rights in Romania, not only for the Hungarian minority, but also for the other national minority groups living in Romania.
