President challenges new law requiring 40% of sports teams to be made up of Romanians

President Nicușor Dan has challenged, before the Constitutional Court (CCR), the constitutionality of the law that requires that at least 40% of the athletes who play on a team in official national competitions be Romanian.

Dan noted that the law violates the principle of non-discrimination and the free movement of workers, enshrined both in the Constitution and in European treaties, by directly referring to the citizenship of athletes.

“I firmly support the objective of encouraging and developing Romanian sport, of supporting young athletes and investing in their training. These goals are legitimate and necessary. However, they must be achieved in compliance with the Constitution of Romania and the law of the European Union, of which Romania is a part,” the head of state wrote on Tuesday, December 16, on Facebook.

“The experience of other European states and UEFA regulations show that supporting locally trained athletes can be done effectively without criteria based on citizenship, but rather through investments in academies, junior centers, and training programs,” he added.

In addition, the president argued, the law affects the right to work by limiting the access of European athletes to national competitions. At the same time, in his view, the requirements of quality and clarity of the law are not respected, including through the establishment of sanctions that exceed the general framework provided by the legislation in force.

The issue of requiring 40% of teams to be made up of Romanians first came up in 2022, when ethnic Hungarians part of Romania’s national hockey team sang the anthem of the predominantly Hungarian region of Székely Land, causing an uproar at home. Players from Miercurea Ciuc and Gheorgheni, cities predominantly inhabited by ethnic Hungarians, make up the bulk of Romania’s national hockey team.

A law forcing teams to include Romanians was adopted last month. The law was initiated by the far-right Alliance for the Union of Romanians (AUR) party. The bill was immediately criticized, and members of the National Liberal Party (PNL) expected it to be attacked by the president.

(Photo source: Inquam Photos | Malina Norocea)