The legislative proposal, initiated by PNL Senator Nicolae Ciucă and PNL MP Gabriel Andronache, provides for sanctions for violating this ban

Romania's Senate approved a legislative proposal on Monday, amending Law 75/1994. It imposes sanctions for adding illegal inscriptions and symbols to the Romanian flag other than those approved by law or military regulations. This initiative comes in the context of the June 2023 amendments to Law 75/1994, which introduced the provision that "No inscriptions and symbols other than those approved by law or military regulations may be added to the flag of Romania".

The legislative proposal, initiated by PNL Senator Nicolae Ciucă and PNL MP Gabriel Andronache, provides for sanctions for violating this ban. Thus, citizens who add illegal inscriptions or symbols on the Romanian flag will be fined between 10,000 and 20,000 lei by the Romanian Police and Gendarmerie officers, reports Digi24. 

The legislative proposal underlines the obligation of citizens to show respect for the flag and the national anthem of Romania and provides for sanctions for violations of this obligation. The draft will now be debated by the Chamber of Deputies, the decision-making body in this case.

In the explanatory memorandum, it is argued that "the desecration of the Romanian flag as a national symbol by attaching insignia over the national colors constitutes a serious breach of public order and must be sanctioned proportionately with a high fine to discourage such antisocial acts".

Senator Diana Iovanovici Șoșoacă spoke out against flying other flags alongside the Romanian flag, while Senator Tanczos Barna of the RMDSZ said that "the flag of Székely Land, the symbol of Székely Land in Romania, will continue to be flown by this community in accordance with the law". This statement sparked controversy in the Senate plenary, leading to a 5-minute break in the sitting.