An international singer received Romanian citizenship, after the appeal launched from the stage. “Your bureaucracy moves harder”
The Israeli musician Asaf Avidan stated in the recent concert in Bucharest that he applied for Romanian citizenship because his grandparents were born in Romania.
“I have been trying for several years to obtain citizenship, but your bureaucracy is more difficult to move,” the artist told the audience at the concert held on May 17, at the Roman Arenas.
Asaf Avidan's request to regain Romanian citizenship was approved by the National Citizenship Authority, according to sources within the institution, quoted by Antena 3.
The case was resolved based on the legal provisions that apply to the descendants of former Romanian citizens, so the musician was exempted from the Romanian language and general culture exams, the cited source also states.
Currently, in order to officially become a Romanian citizen, Asaf Avidan has only one more formality to complete: taking the oath of allegiance.
The representatives of the National Authority for Citizenship sent him the decision 20-30 days ago, and the official date of the ceremony will be established by mutual agreement, given that the appointment lists are made throughout the year. The artist has a legal obligation to take the oath within a maximum period of one year from the issuance of the order.
In a 2014 interview for HotNews, Asaf Avidan spoke about his special connection with Romania and his desire to rediscover his origins.
“It doesn't matter to me where I sing, but, in the case of Romania, I'm curious because my grandparents are Romanian. So it will be like seeing the house of my ancestors”, he said then, on the occasion of the first concert held in our country.
Asaf Avidan was born in Jerusalem in 1980, grew up in Jamaica as the son of diplomats and worked as an entertainer in Tel Aviv before becoming a reference name in folk-rock music. Famous worldwide for the chart-topping hit 'One Day / Reckoning Song', the artist is currently based in France and is enjoying huge international success.
