Singer fined for cutting line from Romanian anthem

A ROMANIAN singer has been fined for omitting a line from the national anthem in protest at the politicising of the song, performed before the start of an international football match.

Bucharest prefect Mihai Atanasoaei yesterday fined singer Marcel Pavel and the Romanian Football Federation £1,000 each. The Federation was fined for its role in managing the pre-match entertainment.

The incident involved Pavel’s performance of the anthem prior to a football match between Romania and France this week, in which Pavel left out the line “Triumphant in battle, his name was Traian.”

The anthem refers to the 1st century Roman Emperor Trajan, who conquered the Dacians, the forefathers of modern-day Romanians.

But the singer told Realitatea TV it could be interpreted to refer to President Traian Basescu.

Pavel initially said that he left the line out because he did not want the anthem to be seen in a political light. He has since been publicly criticised by the president’s daughter, an MEP.

Pavel later said that he would consult with his lawyer to determine whether he had broken the law by defiling a national symbol such as the flag or the national anthem, and he would pay the fine if the law ruled that he had.