With labor shortages prompting reliance on migrant workers, Romanian lawmaker and Alliance for Uniting Romanians (AUR) vice-president Dan Tanasa was sent to trial over a post prosecutors say promoted discrimination against foreign workers, Reuters reported.
Prosecutors said Tanasa's August 2025 post encouraged readers to decline an order if the courier was not Romanian. They charged him with inciting hate speech and discrimination, arguing that the message risked encouraging discriminatory conduct and worsening relations among citizens.
Prosecutors said parliamentary immunity for lawmakers' political speech did not cover the case. Reuters reported that employers in hospitality and construction rely on workers from outside the European Union to fill staffing gaps, with many coming from South Asia.
A South Asian delivery worker was assaulted in Bucharest days after the post and received medical treatment, Reuters reported. Tanasa denied that his remarks encouraged the assault. Reuters also reported a separate attack on another delivery worker near Bucharest several months later.
AUR said the prosecution risks narrowing political expression about immigration policy. Reuters described AUR as Romania's second-largest party and reported that it led opinion polls at around 40%.
