Romania not ready for legal recognition of same-sex couples, PM says

Romanian prime minister Marcel Ciolacu recently said during an interview with local Europa FM that the Romanian society is not ready for the recognition and legal protection of same-sex couples.

Earlier this year, the European Court of Human Rights condemned Romania for failing to provide any sort of legal recognition for same-sex relationships. The court’s judges, by a majority of 5 to 2, held that Romania is in violation of Article 8 (right to respect for private and family life) of the European Convention on Human Rights.

During the recent interview for Europa FM, PM Ciolacu, the leader of the Social Democratic Party, said that it would not be the first or the last time that the ECHR condemns Romania.

“Romanian society is not prepared. It is not the first or the last to condemn. Romania has been condemned for the treatment in prisons as well. It is not one of my priorities, and again, I don't believe Romania is ready at this moment,” Marcel Ciolacu stated, cited by Digi24.

He also mentioned that he is not “a narrow-minded person” and that he has friends who have same-sex relationships but that his position as PM forces him to have a broader image. 

Romania must present proposals for measures by March 25 following the ECHR decision on the recognition and legal protection of same-sex couples.

Romania's obligation to protect and recognize families formed by same-sex individuals is reaffirmed by the Grand Chamber's College of Judges, which rejected the appeal filed by the Government of Romania in the Buhuceanu and Ciobotaru case and 20 other families against Romania, representatives of Accept announced on September 26 in a press release. Thus, the ECHR decision pronounced in May of this year remains final, just like the positive obligation of the Government and the Parliament of Romania to adopt urgent measures to ensure the protection and legal recognition of all families. 

In 2018, a referendum to amend the Constitution of Romania took place, the initiative being based on a citizen initiative started by the Coalition for the Family at the end of 2015. The referendum, supported by the Romanian Orthodox Church, did not reach the necessary validation threshold.

Elena Lasconi, a mayor from the reformist USR party, revealed on Prima TV earlier this month that she voted in support of the traditional family at the referendum and that, for her, “family is formed by a woman and a man.” She was then asked if she supports marriages between people of the same sex and said “I am a Christian, I am Orthodox, and I believe that family is formed by a woman and a man.” In response, USR, the sole party in Romania that showed support for same-sex marriage, removed her from the top of the list of candidates for the upcoming elections for the European Parliament. 

The president of the Romanian Senate and head of the National Liberal Party, part of the governing coalition, Nicolae Ciucă, also said that he supports the traditional family. He also admitted voting in the 2018 referendum.

On October 11 this year, the president of the far-right party AUR, George Simion, announced that initiatives for two important referendums will be initiated in the near future. One will be another referendum to define marriage as between a man and a woman and the one establishing the right of cash payments. AUR, which is reportedly rising in the polls, is looking to enshrine both issues into the Constitution. 

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(Photo source: Inquam Photos | George Calin)