Oana Gheorghiu criticizes the AUR project concerning the national flag / The Deputy Prime Minister says that patriotism cannot be imposed through fines or criminal investigations

Interim Deputy Prime Minister Oana Gheorghiu criticized on Sunday evening the AUR bill regarding ceremonies dedicated to the National Flag, which was on the agenda of the Chamber of Deputies. She argued that love of country cannot be obtained through coercion and that a gesture made out of fear of a fine or a criminal investigation is not proof of patriotism.

The bill, tacitly adopted by the Senate in 2023, requires officials attending the Flag Day ceremony to kiss the flag, in protocol order. Refusal could be punished by a fine of between 5,000 and 10,000 lei, while absence from the ceremony could lead to a criminal investigation for abuse of office.

The proposal also provides for an explicit religious ritual, with a prayer recited by the military priest or church hierarch, as well as kissing the flag after the blessing. Gheorghiu stated that the text introduces a prayer that is not part of the liturgical tradition.

The bill also provides for fines of up to 20,000 lei for media institutions that do not broadcast 30 minutes of content dedicated to the flag and of up to 30,000 lei for local authorities that do not establish “Tricolor Square.” The initiative reached the Chamber’s plenary session without a report from the relevant committees.