King Mihai in Parliament on his birthday

The Parliament approved the proposal of the Liberals of inviting King Mihai on 25 October 2011, in a solemn session of the Parliament. The decision was taken with 203 votes ''for ''and 3''against''.

The Parliament approved the proposal for organising a formal sitting of the Parliament on 25 October, to which King Mihai ought to be invited. His Majesty will celebrate his 90th anniversary on the same day.

It was adopted with 203 votes "for" three "against" and 46 abstentions.

"With a large majority the proposal was approved. On 25 October we will have a solemn moment in the Romanian Parliament", the chairman of the meeting, Mircea Geoană, said.

The proposal was placed on the agenda of the plenary meeting on Tuesday at the request of the opposition.

"I would like you to have the kindness to insert the request of the Liberal parliamentary groups to organise on 25 October a solemn session of the Parliament and invite King Mihai to speak in front of the Parliament, an occasion which would mark His Majesty's 90th anniversary and at the same time would be an occasion of historic evocation and paying homage to the only personality alive that has been a head of state during the World War II."

"It would be a good opportunity to look back at the important moments of the Romanian history, it would be a good opportunity to prove that we value our history and the people who forged the history of this country", PNL leader deputy Călin Popescu Tăriceanu said in the plenary meeting of the parliament.

His proposal was supported by the Social Democratic Party President, Victor Ponta.

"I think that inviting King Mihai on 25 october, the day he will celebrate his 90th anniversary, to address us, without talking politics or about our form of government or anything else, as a sign of respect for a personality of the Romanian history would be a gesture that the Romanian society might appreciate", the Social Democrats leader said.

In turn, the PNL Vice President Theodor Paleologu said that inviting the king is "a matter of honour".

"I turn to colleagues in the group and ask them to vote as well for inviting King Mihai. It is a matter of honour, the excuse that King Mihai is not the head of state is not plausible", Toader Paleologu said.

The Standing Bureau of the Senate and Chamber of Deputies rejected on Monday a PNL request to organise a formal sitting of the Parliament in order to celebrate the 90th anniversary of King Mihai, Chamber President Roberta Anastase announced.

Roberta Anastase argued that only heads of state in office could deliver speeches in the formal sitting of the parliament.

Translated by: Denisse-Meda Bucura,
MA Student, MTTLC, Bucharest University