Romanian polls open this weekend for a referendum that will subject the rights of minorities to the whims of the majority. If approved, the referendum would change the constitution to define marriage as one between “a man and a woman,” replacing the existing gender-neutral reference to the union of ‘spouses.’

Who gets to enjoy their human rights should not be decided by popular vote, and this referendum is particularly opportunistic and insidious.

First, the referendum is redundant since the existing civil code does not permit same-sex marriage or civil partnership – this vote is little more than a thinly veiled attempt to scapegoat a vulnerable minority. It is also a wasteful extravagance, costing an estimated €20 million, at a time when Romania is facing severe economic hardship.

Second, the referendum is incompatible with being a member of the EU, which comes with both benefits and obligations. Discrimination on grounds of sexual orientation is explicitly prohibited in Article 21 of the EU’s Charter of Fundamental Rights. Read more via HRW