Romanian Senate Rejects Bill Renaming Roma As Gypsies

Last week, the Senate’s committees for human rights and equal opportunities endorsed the bill put forth by democrat liberal MP Silviu Prigoana, who argued the term „Roma” is often confused internationally with „Romanian”.

The Romanian Academy and the Government backed the changing of the term ‘Roma’ to ‘gypsy’, saying this is the term used by most European countries. However, the Ministry of Culture, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Department for Interethnic Relations and the National Council Against Discrimination have expressed disapproval for the bill.

Romanian president Traian Basescu told the Financial Times in an interview mid-December 2010 he will never sign the Roma bill into law, adding that would be a gesture of rejection for the country’s Roma community.

The bill is to be debated by the Chamber of Deputies.