Romania's National Museum Network not coordinating this year's Night of Museums

The National Network of Museums in Romania (RNMR) said it would not coordinate this year's edition of the Night of Museums, the yearly event that sees museums across the country stay open after hours.

The organization said the decision was grounded in the "dramatic diminishing of the yearly financial resources allotted to most museums in the country as part of the strategy to cut the budget deficit."

It also pointed to "a difficult situation" generated by its set date. The event should take place on May 17, the Saturday before the day of the second round of the presidential elections (May 18). "RNMR believes that the Government's decision to hold the second round of the presidential elections on the Sunday after the Night of Museums contributed to creating a difficult situation in organizing the event."

RNMR explained that many museum employees are involved in the electoral process in different constituencies of the country. "Many of our museums are understaffed, so any decision by our colleagues to collaborate, in their free time, on other projects or events eliminates any possibility of organizing the Night of Museums event in optimal conditions," the organization said.

RNMR said the decision was not a form of protest, "although there would be sufficient reasons for such an initiative," and asked the Ministry of Culture to include the event on its list of strategic projects to benefit from the necessary funding.

Those museums or cultural entities that still wish to participate in the 2025 edition of the Night of Museums can do so without benefiting from the services, representation, and promotion offered every year by RNMR, the organization said. "The Night of Museums is for anyone who wants to be part of our family even when we do not assume the organization as official partners at the European level."

RNMR also referenced previous difficult contexts when it still managed to organize the event: an online edition during the Covid-19 pandemic and last year's Night of Museums, which took place "despite the legitimate protests of the entire museum community."

"However, the battle with the lack of financial and human resources cannot be won when we are talking about organizing a major event, a true cultural and social phenomenon. The time has come to address the Ministry of Culture with the hope that, after 20 years in which we have demonstrated the value, success, and benefits brought to society and museums by this cultural brand, they will accept our proposal to include us on the list of strategic projects of the ministry. In this way, beyond recognizing the importance of the event, we will be able to benefit from the funding that can help us function and be more interesting and attractive to our audience," the RNMR said.