Cristian Diaconescu, Chair of the People’s Movement Foundation, said on Wednesday, at the Summer University in Izvoru Muresului, that the difference between the funding of Romanian ethnics abroad and the one for minorities in Romania is in a ‘ratio of 1 to 10’, an ‘unnatural situation.’
“It’s unacceptable to find out that the difference between the funding of Romanian ethnics abroad and the one for minorities in Romania is in a ratio of 1 to 10. I was almost ashamed to find out. From the funding point of view, it’s an unnatural difference.” Diaconescu said.
The former foreign minister said ‘there is no doubt’ about what the Romanian state needs to do in this regard. However, the problems remain the same year after year, “nothing significant takes place”. He said a sophisticated project is needed to be carried out by state institutions in charge with supporting Romanians’ identity abroad.
“I don’t understand what is the meaning of the Department for Romanians Everywhere, of the Cultural institutes, there are all kinds of stories for which we spend money, but they do nothing significant. There are Romanians abroad, full stop. They have the same rights as any Romanian in the country,” Diaconescu said.
In his turn, the Executive President of the National Foundation for Romanians Everywhere (FNRP) Eugen Popescu explained that the Romanian state has allotted RON 91.4 million for minorities, an amount by RON 10 million higher than last year, while the number of national minorities decreased, according to the latest census.
“UDMR received RON 19.7 million this year against RON 18.5 million last year, while the Civic Forum of Romanians in Covasna, Harghita and Mures counties, representing the 400,000 Romanians in these counties, has zero funding,” Eugen Popescu said.
In regard to the amount allotted by the Department for Romanians Everywhere to the 10 million Romanians abroad, he mentioned it reaches RON 8.8 million. Thus, some 500,000 Romanians in Ukraine are funded with RON 88,000 by the Ukrainian state, while the Ukrainian guild in Romania receives from the state RON 7.4 million – the number of ethnic Ukrainians being of 60,000.
The 160,000 ethnic Romanians in Bulgaria receive no funding from Sofia, while the 10,000 Bulgarians in Romania are funded from Bucharest with RON 3.52 million.
The Summer University in Targu Mures is attended by 80 leaders of Romanian associations, personalities from Romania’s neighbourhood as well as from Diaspora. The main issue of debate: “Romania and Romanians at the EU and NATO borders”. The Summer University is also attended by former President Traian Basescu, the leader of the Social Romanian Party Mircea Geoana and the President of People’s Movement Foundation Cristian Diaconescu.