The concept of family to be revised

The Romanian Chamber of Deputies has endorsed a citizens initiative to revise the Constitution so as to redefine the concept of family.

Leyla Cheamil, 10.05.2017, 13:58

The family is based on the freely consented marriage between a man and a woman, on their equal rights and on the parents’ right and duty to ensure their children’s upbringing. This is the provision included in the citizens’ initiative aimed at revising the Constitution and thus redefine the concept of family. The bill was endorsed on Tuesday by the Romanian Chamber of Deputies, with an overwhelming majority: 232 votes in favour, 22 against and 13 abstentions. Therefore, the bill got the 2 thirds it needs in order to be adopted.

This initiative, supported last year by 3 million citizen signatures, was submitted to Parliament by the Coalition for Family. The main revision refers to changing the word ‘spouses’ with the phrase ‘man and woman’. Holding a popular vote on this issue would create dissensions in society, say some MPs with the Save Romania Union, who are opposed to a referendum on the matter.

Here is Dan Barna, an MP member of the Save Romania Union: “Is traditional family a major value of our society? Undoubtedly yes. Is tolerance and respecting minorities an important value for our society? Undoubtedly yes. So, let’s be honest and look into each others’ eyes! This referendum would force Romanian citizens to render one value more relevant, to the detriment of the other.”

In another move, Senator Varujan Vosganian, a member of the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats in Romania, says the initiative is not against somebody and is by no means an act of intolerance. Varujan Vosganian: “I have never thought that the idea of maternity blended with that of paternity could be a sign of intolerance. In fact, this is what humanity has been built on. This is what our traditional society has been built on. Saying that into a family one child should call one parent mother, and the other one father is not against any person and their orientations. Under the Constitution, anybody is free to live as they want, according to their own skills and affinities.”

The opposition National Liberal Party has announced it will file its own amendments to the bill, while the Social Democrat Prime Minister Sorin Grindeanu has stated that a debate on this citizens’ initiative is very important. The Romanian people will decide through vote, the Prime Minister said. If the Senate says yes to the proposed amendments too, a referendum will be held within 30 days since endorsement.