Romania’s National Day has been officially celebrated in Birmingham for the first time, marking what community leaders described as a “historic moment” for the city’s growing Romanian population.
The event, held at Birmingham Council House, was organised by Mihaela Savu, Romania’s recently appointed Consul General in Birmingham and the first to serve the Midlands.
The celebration drew a large and diverse crowd, reflecting Birmingham’s reputation as one of the UK’s most multicultural cities.
Speakers included Birmingham’s Lord Mayor, Cllr Zafar Iqbal MBE, Louise Bennett OBE, the West Midlands’ Vice Lord-Lieutenant, and His Eminence Atanasie, the Archbishop of Romania for Great Britain and Northern Ireland.
Guests ranged from the Lord Mayor of Solihull to the West Midlands police and crime commissioner, Simon Foster, alongside Consul Generals from India, Greece and Uganda, university representatives, students and volunteers.
The programme featured a video message from King Charles, traditional Romanian dance and folklore performances by children, choral music from Northampton’s Romanian Orthodox Parish, and a piano solo by the Romanian artist Leyah. The evening concluded with a networking dinner offering Romanian delicacies.
The celebration comes just weeks after the opening of a new Romanian diplomatic office in central Birmingham – the first Romanian mission to open outside London. Addressing attendees, Archbishop Atanasie praised Savu’s “commitment and professionalism”.
Commemorating the 1918 Great Union, when Transylvania united with the Kingdom of Romania
In her speech, Ms Savu thanked the local community for the “warmth and kindness” shown since her arrival and paid tribute to Romanians in the region for their willingness “to roll up your sleeves to help”.
Professor Paul Cadman, CEO of the One Thousand Trades Group, said: “It’s wonderful for Birmingham and the wider Midlands to have our first Consul General-led celebration of Romania’s national day.
“Mihaela Savu and her team are bringing a hugely positive social, cultural and economic energy to not just to Romanians living in this region but to everyone. Her leadership is truly inspirational.”
According to the most recent estimates, there are more than 300,000 Romanians living in the Midlands, 60,000 of whom are in Birmingham, making the region one of the UK’s largest centres of Romanian diaspora.
Romania’s National Day, marked annually on December 1, commemorates the 1918 Great Union, when Transylvania united with the Kingdom of Romania. For many in Birmingham’s Romanian community, this year’s celebration signalled both growing visibility and a strengthening of ties with the wider region.
