Romanians to vote in marriage referendum

Romanians to vote in marriage referendum
A couple receive their unofficial civil partnership certificate at a demonstration in Bucharest in 2017. Civil partnerships are not currently offered in Romania, and gay marriage is illegal.
By Carmen Simion in Bucharest October 5, 2018

Romania will hold a referendum on a planned change of the Constitution to state that the family is a union between a man and a woman and not a union between spouses as it is now on October 6 and 7.

The redefinition of family would make it even more difficult for gay marriages, which are already banned by Romanian legislation, to become legal. Currently, the country’s Civil Code already defines marriage as a union between a man and a woman.

Ahead of the referendum, the different opinions on the issue have divided the population even more. While the referendum has been greatly supported by the Orthodox church and politicians, who would not risk losing popular support in a country that cherishes traditional views on family and where the church plays an important role, it has also attracted criticism from NGOs supporting sexual minorities’ rights.  

In addition, some consider the referendum pointless, as the Romanian legislation already bans same-sex marriages, and at the same time, very costly. Romania has allocated RON163.7mn (€35mn) to organise it.

The idea of a referendum on the issue came up after a civil society group, the Coalition for Family, collected 3mn signatures in favour of a new definition. In September, Romanian senators overwhelmingly voted in favour of the Constitutional change with 107 votes in favour, 13 against and seven abstentions, after the Chamber of Deputies, the lower house of the parliament, had also voted in favour.

Among Romanian political parties, only the Save Romania Union (USR) has said it is against the changes, while the others either support the referendum or have urged their party members to vote according to their beliefs.

Apart from redefining family, the referendum has political implications. It could help the ruling Social Democratic Party (PSD), which has seen support plunging in the last few months, gain back some of its voters by promoting views on “traditional family”. In addition, it could also divert the population’s attention from controversial changes to justice legislation.

Romania has lately been criticised by the EU and its international partners for changing justice and criminal legislation with the aim of weakening anti-corruption fight. A debate on the situation in Romania was held in the European Parliament this week.

However, any political implications have been denied by the Coalition for Family. “We have rejected the political confiscation of our initiative. The public support for the initiative of the 3mn Romanian citizens, including from politicians, cannot be considered a political confiscation attempt,” the organisation said a in statement.

In addition, PSD leaders have claimed they are not campaigning for the referendum, but are only "informing the population".

Although Prime Minister Viorica Dancila has said the referendum is not against any minority, but only a result of an initiative from society, NGOs have harshly criticised it. Amnesty International said in September that the planned referendum could lead to a breach of international human rights standards and increase homophobic discrimination in the country.

Human Rights Watch called the referendum “opportunistic and insidious,” claiming that Romania risks violating international and European law.

In addition, 47 MEP sent Dancila an open letter earlier this month saying that the referendum “encourages hate speech and violence against LGBTI individuals.”

“This redefinition of family has the potential to harm children in all families by promoting the message that single parent families, non-married partners with children, grandparents raising their grandchildren, rainbow families, and all other families that do not fall under the narrow definition proposed by the referendum do not deserve to be recognised and protected,” the letter said.

Many of those who oppose the referendum have announced they will boycott it by not casting their votes. Around 18.9mn Romanians can vote in the referendum; the minimum turnout for it to be valid is 30%.

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