The Federation of Catholic Family Associations in Europe represents 22 national and local associations: we are the voice of families from a Catholic perspective at the European level. FAFCE holds a participatory status with the Council of Europe and is a member of the Fundamental Rights Platform of the European Union.
On the 10th of April this year, we addressed an Open Letter to your Colleagues in the Parliament of Romania, expressing “our strong concern for the delay in the organisation of the Referendum on marriage” in this Country, as requested by “a regular Citizens’ initiative managed by the Coalition for Family in Romania and which has succeeded in collecting signatures by 3 million citizens”. Since the Citizens’ initiative has still not passed Parliament after so much time, we repeat that “we are astonished by the fact that this impressive result, which clearly shows the will of the people to have a such referendum, is ignored, despite the fact this initiative is fully in accordance with the jurisprudence of the European Union and settled by the European Court of Human Rights as well as with the positions taken by the Venice Commission”.
We are among the strongest supporters of the principle of subsidiarity and we encourage all Romanian political leaders not to be intimidated by the external powers which are against this referendum. Therefore, we wish to draw your attention, as elected representatives of the European peoples, to the undue delay of the organisation of the referendum. The disrespect of the constitutional right of the Romanian people to have a democratic referendum goes against its sovereignty and the rule of law.
Sincerely Yours,
Iulian Oanta, President Antoine Renard, President
Association of Catholic Families ‘Vladimir Ghika’ FAFCE
