ABSTRACT
Romanian foreign relations with other socialist states and parties, including those of the regional hegemon, were in relative equilibrium. The tension in Soviet-Romanian relations is further aggravated by the fact that the policies of Bucharest have also changed in a number of areas, particularly those that could be assumed under the notion of glasnost and perestroika. Since 1948, a number of issues have bedeviled the relationship between Hungary and Romania. The latter approach of systematization is deeply resented by the Germans and particularly the Hungarians, and is widely perceived as directly discriminatory. Since 1986 several thousand Hungarians have left Romania and now constitute a significant economic and social problem for Budapest, whose leaders are pledged to help these unfortunate individuals and families. The Romanian refugees are not leaving because of ethnic discrimination, but because of the generally repressive nature of the system and its disregard for basic civil rights.
