PSD’s Corlatean: Constitution’s revision on family, necessary for Romanian society, yet against European trend
The steps referring to the revision of the fundamental law regarding the family are ‘a necessary gesture for the long-term health of the Romanian society’, and yet they go ‘against the European trend’, the Social-Democrat Senator Titus Corlatean asserted on Thursday.
‘We have come to a moment that makes the difference at the referendum for the revision of the Constitution.(…) All Romanians must understand that what we are doing in Romania, we are struggling with our limited powers, goes against the European trend. Whether we like it or not, it is a reality. The fact that in central and East-European countries there are exceptions, thank God, positive situations where referendums of this kind were conducted and resulted in a positive outcome, is a good example, but these are exceptional situations,’ Corlatean told the international conference ‘Referendum for marriage. National and international perspectives’ organized by the Coalition for Family.
He added that this is a necessary gesture that ‘goes against the trend.’
‘We must be aware that what we are doing today is a necessary gesture for the health on the long term of the Romanian society, for our children’s future, but goes against the trend. Hence, a series of very tough political opposition, starting with the President of Romania and his people in Parliament, not all of them from the opposition. These are people I do respect and with whom I’ve been together in the same cause to promote this topic. Not to mention the seen or unseen segments, the stances of the embassies and ambassadors who can either call the opposition parties, or ask for an audience to the ruling coalition’s parties to tell us what we should do, what we should not do. This is the reality we live as I speak,’ Corlatean stressed.
The PSD Senator went further to say that President Iohannis has no constitutional right to be against the organization of the referendum.
‘So, the stakes we have are very serious stakes, they are the stakes of democracy. To stage a referendum at the request of 3 million citizens are at stake as far as the observance of the democratic and constitutional rules are concerned and he, the President of Romania, alongside all the others in keeping with him, has no constitutional right to oppose the organization of the referendum which is a democratic exercise demanded by the 3 million citizens. If only 5 people ask for something one must pay attention. (…) There also exists a more profound stake that that has to do with our liberties. Do we have the right to believe in anything? Or is it only the others, a minority, who have the right to believe in their things, only the others who have the right to impose the adoption of a brand new set of values, in quotes, to the majority?! (…) We, the ones who believe in God, know that the stakes are of a spiritual nature, too,’ Titus Corlatean concluded.
Water Minister: The institution called “family” consists of a father who is a man and a mother who is a woman
Minister of Waters and Forests Ioan Denes participated on Thursday in the Conference on the organization of the “Referendum for Marriage”, at the Parliament Palace, where he stated that the family consists of a father who is a man and a mother who is a woman.
The conference called “The Referendum for Marriage in Romania: National and International Perspectives”, organized on Thursday at the Romanian Parliament, was opened by the President of the Citizens Initiative Committee, Mihai Gheorghiu, who said that he was shocked by the statement of the Romanian President who declared himself against the organization of the referendum for the family.
“The question is: does the Romanian nation has the right to a referendum? Can we afford this luxury? The Romanian President seems to tell us no. The Romanian President seems to tell us that this initiative inflates the society. It is amazing. Personally, I was extremely dumbfounded and shocked to hear the statement of the Romanian President at Bacau, saying that this initiative to review the Constitution inflates the society, meaning 90% of the Romanian citizens who agree with the definition of the marriage as the union between a man and a woman” sated Mihai Gheorghiu on Thursday.
Gheorghiu also said that over the time, the initiators of the referendum for amending the article in the Constitution that defines the family were labeled as religious fanatics.
“This long and tenacious resistance against the referendum is amazing. This topic is pushed to marginalization. When we were defined as religious fanatics, no one apologized for this offense. Fanaticism is a disease” Mihai Gheorghiu also mentioned.
The conference on the referendum for marriage was also attended by the Minister of Waters and Forests, Ioan Denes, who declared himself for the organization of the referendum.
“The Sunday when the referendum will be organized will be called the Sunday of Light, and if our European friends, brothers and colleagues wish to import something from Romania, and I believe it’s time for us to export something from Romania, they should import this decision that will be clearly taken by Romanians, namely the value and the morality will be regulated by the law. Because we do care what is happening to our society, tomorrow, the day after tomorrow, what is happening to our children, to our nephews, not because we hate someone, on the contrary” Ioan Denes stated.
The Minister has raised the religious issues of the referendum, referring to Jesus Christ’s teachings.
“Jesus tells us that we must love all the people, but this doesn’t mean that we have to love the sins. That’s why, as practicing Christians, we love all the people, but we must say the truth as it is. The institution called family, the one which God has left on Earth, consists of a father who is a man, and a mother who is a woman. I hope this referendum will be organized very soon” Ioan Denes also stated.
Florin Iordache: Referendum on family could be held around June 10
Florin Iordache, House lawmaker (PSD) and ex-Justice Minister, stated on Thursday, at an event in connection to the Referendum for Family, that the referendum could be held around June 10, following the CCR’s decision to reject the PNL and USR notifications on the Referendum Law.
“I believe around June 10 the referendum on organising the Constitution could be held. I believe all responsible political parties and everybody will back this overture to modify the Constitution. It’s normal, we’re part of the European Union, but we have our own traditions, we are in favour of modifying the Constitution, we cannot negate the tradition and the efforts of the 3 million Romanians,” Florin Iordache stated at an event organised by the Coalition for Family, in connection to the Referendum for Family.
Subsequently, he pointed out how he came up with that date.
“We said we will support an initiative to modify the Constitution, today the Constitutional Court finally rejected and we’re waiting for the President to promulgate the referendum law, and in these conditions the Senate to adopt the form adopted by the House and the referendum will be held on the last Sunday of the 30-day period,” Florin Iordache added.
