The Macedonians of Romania are a recognised minority with full minority rights. As of the
2021 census, 1,089
ethnic Macedonians
Macedonians ( mk, Македонци, Makedonci) are a nation and a South Slavic ethnic group native to the region of Macedonia in Southeast Europe. They speak Macedonian, a South Slavic language. The large majority of Macedonians identi ...
lived in
Romania
Romania ( ; ro, România ) is a country located at the crossroads of Central, Eastern, and Southeastern Europe. It borders Bulgaria to the south, Ukraine to the north, Hungary to the west, Serbia to the southwest, Moldova to the east, and ...
. They are mostly descendants of
refugees of the Greek Civil War During and after the Greek Civil War of 1946–1949, members and or supporters of the defeated Communist forces fled Greece as political refugees. The collapse of the Democratic Army of Greece (DSE) and subsequent evacuation of the Communist Party o ...
(1946–1949).
Immigration
The
Greek communists formed the
Slavomacedonian National Liberation Front in 1943, thus recognizing the
Macedonian national identity, during the
Axis occupation of Greece. However, the situation deteriorated after the communists lost the
Greek Civil War
The Greek Civil War ( el, ο Eμφύλιος όλεμος}, ''o Emfýlios'' 'Pólemos'' "the Civil War") took place from 1946 to 1949. It was mainly fought against the established Kingdom of Greece, which was supported by the United Kingdom and ...
(1946-1949), while the Greek government did not recognize the distinctiveness of the Macedonian nation, that was formed at the same time. Thousands of
ethnic Macedonians
Macedonians ( mk, Македонци, Makedonci) are a nation and a South Slavic ethnic group native to the region of Macedonia in Southeast Europe. They speak Macedonian, a South Slavic language. The large majority of Macedonians identi ...
were expelled and fled to the
Eastern Bloc countries. Many were evacuated to Romania. A large evacuation camp was established in the Romanian town of
Tulgheș. It was there that many of the younger children were reunited with their parents. It is thought that 5,132 children were evacuated to Romania along with 1,981 men and 1,939 women. The group of children evacuated was the largest in Romania. There in Romania, the most provisions were set up for them across the entire Eastern Bloc, excluding Yugoslavia. That group of children would go on to form the recognized minority group of Macedonians in Romania. According to the 2021 Romanian census, 1,089 individuals declared a Macedonian ethnicity (536 men and 553 women). In the same census, only 201 individuals declared that they spoke the Macedonian language, including 115 men and 86 women. According to the United States Census Bureau, in 2015, there were 186 Macedonians born in Romania living in the U.S. Some of the 243 ethnic Bulgarians living in the U.S. in 2015 who were born in Romania were of Macedonian origin.
Organisations
The
Association of Macedonians in Romania
The Association of Macedonians of Romania ( ro, Asociația Macedonenilor din România, AMR; mk, Друштвото на Македонците од Романија, translit=Društvoto na Makedoncite od Romanija, DMR) is an ethnic minority pol ...
was established in 2000 as an
ethnic minority political party to represent the Macedonian community. The party has a seat in the
Chamber of Deputies. The current member of the
Macedonian minority in
Romania
Romania ( ; ro, România ) is a country located at the crossroads of Central, Eastern, and Southeastern Europe. It borders Bulgaria to the south, Ukraine to the north, Hungary to the west, Serbia to the southwest, Moldova to the east, and ...
is
Liana Dumitrescu
Liana Dumitrescu (20 January 1973 – 27 January 2011) was a Romanian politician and the leader of the Association of Macedonians of Romania, a political party representing the ethnic Macedonians of Romania. She served in the Chamber of Deputies ...
, who has served since 2004, when she replaced
Vasile Ioan Savu The male name Vasile is of Greek origin and means "King".
Vasile is a male Romanian given name or a surname. It is equivalent to the English name Basil.
As a given name
As a surname
*Cristian Vasile (1908–1985), Romanian tango-romance sing ...
, in office from 2000. Dumitrescu heads the party, which forms part of the parliamentary group of national minorities. At the 2000 elections the group received 8,000 votes, and in 2004, 3 Macedonian political parties from
Romania
Romania ( ; ro, România ) is a country located at the crossroads of Central, Eastern, and Southeastern Europe. It borders Bulgaria to the south, Ukraine to the north, Hungary to the west, Serbia to the southwest, Moldova to the east, and ...
, lead and participated at election by AMR, obtained more than 25,000 votes. However two other Political Parties, Asociația Macedonenilor din Romania and Asociația Cultura a Macedonenilor din România also polled well with 9595 and 9750 votes respectively.
See also
*
Ethnic Macedonians
Macedonians ( mk, Македонци, Makedonci) are a nation and a South Slavic ethnic group native to the region of Macedonia in Southeast Europe. They speak Macedonian, a South Slavic language. The large majority of Macedonians identi ...
*
Exodus of Ethnic Macedonians from Greece During and after the Greek Civil War of 1946–1949, members and or supporters of the defeated Communist forces fled Greece as political refugees. The collapse of the Democratic Army of Greece (DSE) and subsequent evacuation of the Communist Party o ...
References
External links
Association of Macedonians in Romania Ethnic Minorities of Romania AMR AMR Votes AMR in Parliament of Romania
{{DEFAULTSORT:Macedonians Of Romania
Macedonian diaspora
*Main