The Romanian Government approved on June 12 an emergency ordinance granting RON 53 million (some EUR 11 million) to the Timișoara 2021 European Capital of Culture program.

The financing is non-refundable and is granted yearly based on a contract between the Culture Ministry and the Timișoara European Capital of Culture Association. The yearly allotments are established based on the sums approved within the Culture Ministry’s budget.

Once the emergency ordinance comes into force, the projects planned for the 2021 can be implemented, especially the cultural and urban infrastructure ones that need to be finished by the end of 2022, Nelu Barbu, a Government spokesperson, said.

Timișoara won in 2016 the bid to hold the 2021 European Capital of Culture title, after being shortlisted alongside Bucharest, Cluj-Napoca and Baia Mare. It will hold the title together with Elefsina (Greece) and Novi Sad (Serbia).

The European Capitals of Culture are one of the most recognized EU projects. It started in 1985 on the initiative of the then Greek Minister of Culture Melina Mercouri. Sibiu was Romania’s first European Capital of Culture, in 2007.

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