Romania to clarify funding for 1918 Union centennial projects

Romania's Culture Ministry aims to clarify the financing of the projects dedicated to 1918 Union centennial in an emergency ordinance (OUG) project currently under public debate. The country is almost three months into the 100-anniversary year of the Great Union, when several provinces, including Transylvania, Basarabia, Bucovina and Maramures, joined the Romanian Kingdom of the time. The ministry decided to annul the list of 2,042 centennial-related project proposals validated at the end of last year because they came with incomplete specifications. It asked all institutions to resend in a complete version the projects they had drawn up for the 1918 Union celebration. “Because of the scope, high number, complexity and diversity of these projects and events dedicated to the centennial, and the fact that these are managed by different authorities as far as financing and subordination are concerned, the clarification of the budgeting and financing mechanism is required,” the project argues. Last week, the Culture Ministry decided to reorganize its National Identity Department, in charge with organizing the 1918 Union centennial celebration because its activity lacked a unitary concept, well-defined themes, actions and selection criteria. The opposition National Liberal Party (PNL) has reacted by asking for the dismissal of George Ivaşcu from his culture minister post. “We find ourselves in the situation of not having any approved projects for the celebration, at the end of the first quarter of the centennial year,” PNL deputy Gigel Ştirbu said, quoted by News.ro. Ştirbu is also the president of the Culture Commission of the Chamber of Deputies. At the same time, the Save Romanian Union (USR) deputy Iulian Bulai announced the filing of a motion against the culture minister for his four-time refusal to come to the Culture Commission, for declining to coordinate with the Centennial Commission, and for canceling over 2,000 projects related to the 1918 Union anniversary. Ivaşcu took over the culture minister job at the end of January of this year. editor@romania-insider.com