Professor Dumitru Marin is challenging the mayor of Vaslui and asking the court to grant him the title of Honorary Citizen

Professor Dumitru Marin, 85, has asked the Vaslui Tribunal to suspend the mayor of the municipality, Lucian Braniște, from office and to order the Local Council to grant him the title of Honorary Citizen. The request was filed after his candidacy, supported by his cultural activity over several decades, was not approved by the local administration.

Marin cites, among other things, his contribution to the county’s cultural life and the activity of the magazine Meridianul Cultural Românesc, which he says has 1,311 contributors from 33 countries. In the documents submitted to the court, the professor argues that granting the title is a right, not a decision dependent on the mayor’s goodwill. He accuses the mayor of refusing to engage in dialogue with representatives of his publication and of not allowing book launches to be held as part of municipal events.

In the Local Council, administration representatives said the candidacy file was incomplete and would be reviewed after the missing documents were submitted. A councilwoman asked the professor to moderate his tone.

The court suspended the case on procedural grounds because the request had been filed in the name of a company, although the claims concerned Marin as an individual. The presidential ordinance did not address the substance of the dispute, and the main trial has not begun.