Hearings ministers/Romascanu: Budget, aid schemes, Timisoara European Capital of Culture programme, among priorities

Lucian Romascanu, who got the approval on Wednesday from the specialist committees of Parliament for the office of Minister of Culture, stated that ensuring a satisfactory budget, operationalizing aid schemes, collaborating with relevant institutions in the COVID-19 pandemic area and the "Timisoara 2023 - European Capital of Culture," represent immediate priorities of its mandate, agerpres reports.

"The most important priority for the cultural field, no matter the government, no matter who is there, is funding. We only managed to get closer to 0.1pct of GDP in the Centenary Year, when we had an additional budget for the events of that year. (...) Much of the money only passes through the ministry to the salaries of subordinate institutions, and important programmes - such as the programme of restoration of historical monuments under the National Heritage Institute - have always remained without the necessary funds," Romascanu said at his hearing.

The designated minister added that he would like to be able to convince his colleagues in the Government that the field of Culture should reach 0.1pct of GDP, and in the next eight years he hopes for 1pct.

Other priorities presented by Romascanu are the operationalization of aid schemes, an "extremely open, honest, sincere and flexible" collaboration with the relevant institutions in the COVID-19 pandemic area, so that cultural institutions can carry out their activity, and the "Timisoara 2023" programme - European Capital of Culture."

"We have already received a message from the mayor of Timisoara, Dominic Fritz. He will have to get more involved than has happened so far, to assume the role of leader of the local forum that manages this great programme and to have the second great success after "Sibiu - European Capital of Culture," said Romascanu.

At the same time, the designated minister mentioned a series of legislative priorities, such as the Statute of the cultural worker, the Heritage Code, the Law on the management of public cultural institutions and the Law on cultural vouchers.