Romanian Senate adopts new law that sanctions social defamation

The Romanian Senate adopted on October 7 a law that promotes human dignity and tolerance for group differences. The law, submitted to the Senate by Social Democratic Party - PSD interim president Liviu Dragnea, got 52 votes in favor and 23 votes against, reports local Mediafax. According to the new law, social defamation could be sanctioned with fines between RON 1,000 and RON 30,000 (EUR 225-6,740), if it targeted an individual. The fines for denigrating social groups can go up to RON 100,000 (EUR 22,500). According to the project initiated by Dragnea, social defamation represents the act or the statement through which a person is put in a position of inferiority because he belongs to a group of people “who can be socially distinguished through one or more features related to gender, age, race, religion, ethnic origin, native language, cultural traditions, political affiliation, sexual orientation, social origin, disability, non-contagious disease, or HIV/AIDS infection.” The proposal includes the establishment of a special department within National Council for Combating Discrimination that would monitor how this law is respected. It also stipulates that the radio and the public television should include programs that promote tolerance, teachers should take classes on this subject, and schools should adopt an "annual plan for the implementation of actions to combat discrimination,” reports Mediafax. The initiative also targets companies. Thus, any employer with more than 50 employees will include in the organization regulation a set of rules on human rights, fighting discrimination, and promoting human dignity and tolerance for group differences. The Chamber of Deputies also has to vote the law, being the decisional body. Corruption and other human rights issues in Romania Amnesty International paints bleak image of Romania’s racism Irina Popescu, irina.popescu@romania-insider.com