Iasi gets “Romania’s historical capital” title. PSD boycotted event attended by President Iohannis

On Wednesday evening, President Klaus Iohannis attended the event when Iasi has been declared “Romania’s Historical Capital”, on the occasion of the 160th anniversary of the Small Union. The event was hosted at the Palace of Culture in Iasi, eastern Romania. Iohannis handed out to the local authorities the copy of the decree promulgating the law that declares Iasi as “Romania’s Historical Capital”.

The head of state also attended the decoration ceremony of “Vasile Alecsandri” National Theatre, of the “Moldova” National Museum Complex and of the National Romanian Opera in Iasi.

President Iohannis also visited the tomb of ruler Alexandru Ioan Cuza, the one who accomplished the Small Union in 1859. He was welcomed by tens of locals in front of the Trei Ierarchi Monastery in Iasi.

However, the Social Democrats from Iasi announced they are boycotting the event to declare the city as “Romania’s Historical Capital”. The leader of the PSD Iasi branch, Maricel Popa argued the Social Democrat county councilmen had not been invited to the event, accusing mayor Mihai Chirica of immaturity.

The PSD local leader said that Iasi City Hall had sent invitations on Tuesday only to the county councilmen of PNL and PMP (opposition parties), which were attending the sitting of the special committee within Iasi County Council.

Mihai Chirica, a former PSD member, was ousted from the ruling party in February last year after having taken numerous stances against the party’s chairman Liviu Dragnea and against the controversial decisions of the ruling party and the government, including against the controversial GEO 13 amending the criminal codes that stirred huge mass protests in the winter of 2017.

The Small Union or the United Principalities of Moldavia and Wallachia was the official name of the personal union adopted in 1859 when Alexandru Ioan Cuza was elected as the Ruling Prince of both territories, which were still vassals of the Ottoman Empire.