PM-designate Orban says equal opportunities, non-discrimination guaranteed in Romania

Prime Minister-designate Ludovic Orban sent a message on Thursday on the occasion of the Day of Roma Emancipation in Romania, underlining that equal opportunities and non-discrimination are guaranteed in Romania, and the government supports social inclusion as a "primordial" solution so that ethnicity is not a disadvantage for anyone.

"Today marks the 164th anniversary of a fundamental moment in our history, which marked the country's first step towards democracy: the passage of legislation for the emancipation of the Roma in the Principality of Wallachia, under which the centuries-old bondage of the Roma was abolished, after a similar law had been adopted a few months before in Moldavia. It was an initiative that was supported by important personalities of the time such as Alecu Russo, Gheorghe Asachi, Vasile Alecsandri and Mihail Kogalnicniceanu, true visionaries of the European values to which Romania today is firmly attached. (...) The three decades that passed since the fall of communism have brought a major change of perspective through Romania's accession to the European Union and to the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation. Equal opportunities, non-discrimination are guaranteed in Romania and it is natural for them to remain attached to these values," reads Orban's message.

According to Orban, in 2011 the event that took place on February 20, 1856, was officially recognised by law, with a significance not only for history, but also for eliminating prejudice at the level of society and for the democratic progress of the country.

"We wish for a prosperous, modern Romania, and the measures taken so far by the government that I lead converge towards such objective. However, we consider it important that these rights be supported by policies capable of providing every Romanian citizen a chance for a decent social status and we support social inclusion as a primary solution so that ethnicity is not a disadvantage for anyone."