Romania’s Senate adopted on Tuesday, September 11, the law draft for changing the definition of family in the Constitution, local News.ro reported.

The new article should state that family is based on the marriage between a man and a woman, thus making same-sex marriages illegal in Romania.

The Senate’s vote was the last step before organizing the referendum, which will take place on October 7, according to Liviu Dragnea, the leader of the ruling Social Democratic Party (PSD). The referendum will be “a crucial moment for the fundamental values of the Romanian society”, Dragnea said, adding that he would vote for family, in its traditional sense.

A total of 107 senators from PSD and junior coalition partner ALDE, as well as from the National Liberal Party (PNL) and Hungarian Union (UDMR) voted in favor of this initiative, while MPs of the Save Romania Union (USR) voted against.

editor@romania-insider.com