Nicușor Dan challenges the law on cleaning graffiti off monuments

President Nicușor Dan has challenged the law allowing graffiti and other inscriptions to be removed non-invasively from historic monuments without approval from the Ministry of Culture. The action concerns amendments adopted by Parliament at the initiative of liberal lawmakers, following requests from Bucharest Mayor Ciprian Ciucu.

Under the program prepared by Bucharest City Hall, owners of buildings in Protected Built Areas would be eligible for funding covering up to 80% of graffiti removal costs, while others would be required to clean their facades, subject to fines.

The law provides that the work does not require approval if it does not affect the material, authenticity or cultural value of the monument, is reversible and is notified to the competent authorities. The technical criteria were to be established by an order of the Minister of Culture.

However, the president argues that the amendments were introduced directly in the Chamber of Deputies without being reviewed by the Senate, violating the principle of bicameralism. Nicușor Dan also says the new rules are unclear and do not establish their relationship with the Urban Planning Code, which entered into force on August 25, 2026.

According to him, the Code requires authorities to be notified and a written agreement to be obtained before work begins. Replacing approval with a simple notification could undermine the protection and preservation of cultural heritage, an obligation established by the Constitution.