The baptism of the son of Alfred Simonis, head of the Timiș County Council, was meant to be a private family celebration on Saturday, October 31, at a luxury venue in Timișoara. Instead, images of fur coats, jewelry, shoes and handbags worn by the partners of PSD leaders circulated widely online, drawing criticism from a broad swath of Romanian society, News.ro reported.
Former president Traian Băsescu commented on the event Thursday evening, November 5, in a phone interview on B1 TV, calling the gathering a “festival of luxury” and saying it demonstrated that Romania needs Laura Codruța Kovesi back at the National Anticoruption Directorate (DNA). The child’s godfather was PSD president and Chamber of Deputies Speaker Sorin Grindeanu.
Băsescu: “The Adults Are to Blame, Not the Child”
“It was considered indecent and probably was indecent,” Băsescu said, according to News.ro. “I don’t know why they had to bring the televisions there — it’s hard to explain. Did they want to show the luxury, the wealth they live in? This event tied to a little child, and the child is not to blame — the adults are, for making a festival of luxury. So this event shows us that we need Kovesi at the DNA.”
Băsescu added that he does not believe Kovesi, the former DNA chief, will actually return to lead the agency. “No, and I don’t think it would be the case for her to come back,” he said. “I said it because I liked it as a connection — I know what reactions there will be.”
The Coat at the Center of the Storm
Among the most commented appearances was that of Sorina Docuz, the partner of former prime minister Marcel Ciolacu, who wore a gray dress with a fur coat that online users speculated was chinchilla and priced between 12,000 and 17,000 euros. Ciolacu told Libertatea that the coat is not chinchilla and was bought at a bazaar in Istanbul for 500 euros, News.ro reported.
Other PSD figures at the event included Paul Stănescu, Craiova mayor Lia Olguța Vasilescu and her husband Claudiu Manda, Alexandru Rogobete, Florin Manole and Alexandru Rafila. Performers included Al Bano and Theo Rose, with one source also listing Damian Drăghici among the singers.
Grindeanu, Simonis and Theo Rose Respond
Grindeanu reacted Monday to the criticism, saying that “in a difficult social context, all of us with public responsibilities must be much more careful about how we relate to people and the message we send, even at private events.”
Simonis responded ironically, telling a Monday council meeting that “it was a hard weekend not only for those in the hall at the event, but for the others too” — a reference, per Vocea Timișului, to those who “lurked, hid in the bushes, stayed up all night to comment, spread and promote.”
Theo Rose defended her decision to perform, telling Digi FM that she was contracted for a baptism, not a political event, and did not receive the guest list in advance. “I knew the child’s name, not who was going to attend,” she said. “My presence there is in no way a statement of support for any party.” She added that 15 people travel with her to every performance and depend financially on that work: “I don’t depend on that money, but the people who work with me, yes.”
Ciolacu Denies Fur Coat Claims
Why did the baptism spark controversy?
Images from the October 31 event in Timișoara showed partners of PSD leaders wearing luxury items — including a fur coat online users estimated at over 15,000 euros — which many Romanians denounced as “luxury and opulence” during a period of social hardship.
What did Marcel Ciolacu say about the fur coat?
Ciolacu told Libertatea the coat is not chinchilla and was purchased at a bazaar in Istanbul for 500 euros, contradicting online estimates of 12,000 to 17,000 euros.
Who was the child’s godfather?
Sorin Grindeanu, the president of PSD and Speaker of the Chamber of Deputies, served as godfather to the son of Alfred Simonis, president of the Timiș County Council.
The dispute over the coat’s origin and price remains unresolved — Ciolacu’s account stands against unverified online estimates — and no official has yet explained why television cameras were allowed into what organizers called a private event.
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