7/31/2019 Liam Lever- Political Row Over Control of Romania's Cultural Institute

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Political row over control of Romanias CulturalInstituteCulture,Daily News |Liam Lever| June 15, 2012 5:02 pm

http://www.romania-insider.com/political-row-over-control-of-romanias-cultural-

institute/58982/

The latest bout in the president Basescu vs Prime Minister Ponta political prize fight

has centered around a somewhat improbable candidate: Romanias Cultural Institute.

Currently under presidential auspices, PM Victor Ponta put forward a motion to

transfer control of the Cultural Institute (ICR) to the Romanian Senate, saying it was

politicized and lacked transparency.

President Traian Basescu gave a sullen response that roughly translates as, If thats

what they want, let them do it. It must all leave Horia Roman Patapievici (in

picture), the ICR president, rather mystified. The recent change allows the

Parliament to name a new president as well as a management council for ICR within

two weeks. Speaking at a conference on June 13 attended by many luminaries of the

arts in Romania, Patapievici was forced to defend himself and his organization.

Patapievici countered the accusations in front of an audience that included Cristi

Puiu, Andrei erban, Alexandru and Ada Solomon, Grigore Lee, Dan Dediu, MihaiMihalcea, Ada Milea, Voicu Rdescu, Irina Margareta Nistor, Cristina Modreanu and

Doina Jelea among others.

Responding to the charge of wasting public money, he said that half the ICRs 2011

projects were carried out in partnership with foreign institutions, which also brought

funding, while one in five of the institutes events didnt cost anything. Patapievici

said the organizations budget reports speak for themselves and show quality

programs from minimal public funding. He described the accusations as shameful

and stated that he, and the ICR, worked autonomously without political interference

or any kind of political agenda. Bringing the ICR under senate control would,

according to Patapievici, lead to the organization being more politicized, as opposed

to the current presidential control, which he described as symbolic.

The government has introduced an emergency ordinance to bring the ICR under

parliamentary control. Putting the ICR under parliamentary control is the

democratic choice and aims to make the institution more transparent. Use of public

funds must be above any suspicion and only through transparent and democratic

parliamentary control this can be achieved, said government spokesman, Andrei

Zaharescu.

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7/31/2019 Liam Lever- Political Row Over Control of Romania's Cultural Institute

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The Romanian Cultural Institute organizes a wide range of events both in Romania

and abroad. It has various foreign offices and works with Romanian and foreign

artists, promoting local culture around the world.

Liam Lever, liam@romania-insider.com