Five days of fire in politics (timeline)
The week began with the change of Ombudsman and the Presidents of the two chambers and ended with the suspension of President Traian Basescu.
Articol de Paul Poteraşi, 08 Iulie 2012, 11:41
In the last week, the Alliance, USL, succeeded in changing the Presidents of Parliament Chambers, to replace the one who occupy the post of Ombudsman, to modify some tasks of the Constitutional Court and to amend the law on the referendum.
The offensive parliamentary majority ended with with the suspension of President Traian Băsescu, this request was passed by MPs to 256.
Also on Friday night, it was decided that the referendum on Traian Băsescu’s impeachment as President of Romania to take place on July 29.
| Monday | |
| USL Parliamentary groups meet. | |
| Crin Antonescu declared that, during the week, within the Parliament, USL might even vote and submit the request for suspension from Office of President Traian Băsescu. | |
| Tuesday | |
| The Parliament meets in special session and dismisses the Ombudsman function, Gheorghe Iancu, the function being taken over by Valer Dorneanu interim. PDL announces that they attack the Constitutional Court's decision. | |
| USL Senators manage to change the President of the Senate, Vasile Blaga, and on following a vote in plenary Crin Antonescu is elected to occupy this function. Crin Antonescu thus becomes the second man in the State and if possible interim President Traian Băsescu's suspension. Vasile Blaga attacked the decision of the Constitutional Court. | |
| Roberta Anastase was revoked from the post of President of the Chamber of Deputies for the way she drove, last year, a plenary sitting. In her place, Valeriu Zgonea is voted. Roberta Anastase says she attacks the decision in her case to the Constitutional Court. | |
| President Traian Băsescu argues a press conference in which he states that the purpose of the USL, Democratic Union and UNPR would be put under control of the judiciary, the suspension of the Chief of State being, in his view, only one stage in the plan. Traian Băsescu is calling on the leaders of the majority to stop immediately “attacks on State institutions”. | |
| Wednesday | |
| USL leaders make a request to the Parliament for President Traian Băsescu’s suspension, accusing him of seven violations of the Constitution. Traian Băsescu is accused of being instigated to failure decisions of the Constitutional Court, he would have pressed the judges of the Constitutional Court and he would have substituted for the Government. The President shall also be reproached that he stated that he will not call an USL premier even if the Union will get an absolute majority in Parliament. | |
| The Government adoptes an Emergency Ordinance that removes the Parliament judgments of the acts on which the Constitutional Court shall have jurisdiction. This emergency judgment is published on Wednesday in the Official Gazette. | |
| Also in the Official Gazette there are published the decisions concerning Vasile Blaga and Roberta Anastase’s revocation. | |
| Thursday | |
| The Parliament shall meet in plenary session for reading the suspension of the Chief of State. | |
| President Băsescu is present and declares that USL would like to put justice and the institutions under control “as Dan Voiculescu wishes”. He announces that he will be present at discussion on application of suspension. | |
| The Parliament rejectes by voting PDL request on the constitution of a Commission of inquiry in connection with the seven charges of the President. | |
The Parliament requests the Advisory opinion of the Constitutional Court, setting a time limit by which the institution to rule: Friday at 12. The session of debate and vote on the suspension is scheduled for Friday at 17. | |
| PDL organised in the capital, in the Revolution square, a rally of protest against LSU measures involving among others Cristian Preda, Vasile Blaga, Mihai Răzvan Ungureanu and Mihai Neamţu. These critic, through speeches, the decision to suspend and express their support for the President. | |
| In the University square has held a protest against the President Traian Băsescu and against the whole political class. | |
| The Government has adopted an Ordinance which establishes that the President is dismissed, after the suspension, in the referendum, a majority of those present on voting, and not by the majority those enrolled on lists, thus being allowed to regulate before the amendment of the law of the former parliamentary majority. The Act provides that in the referendum the Romanians from abroad may also participate. The Ordinance is published in the Gazette almost at midnight. | |
| Friday | |
| The Constitutional Court meets in session at 9 a.m. to analyze the request submitted by USL on the suspension request of President Traian Băsescu. | |
| The Parliament rejects, through vote, PDL proposal that the plenary sittings to be postponed until the pronouncement of the Court. | |
| The Constitutional Court says in a press release that the Judge Asparazia Cojocaru was threatened before the Friday talks on the suspension of President Traian Băsescu with regard to the vote which will give him. | |
| PSD Senator, Dan Şova, argues that the magistrates CCR did not say that "the opinion would be positive or negative, but as seen from its contents in four points, the Constitutional Court has given a positive opinion for the continuation of the procedure for the suspension of the President of Romania ". | |
| PDL leaders, Vasile Blaga and Emil Boc argue that there are no reasons as the President to be suspended and that the opinion of the Constitutional Court would have been negative. | |
| The opinion of the Constitutional Court comes to Parliament. | |
| The reunited two rooms of the Parliament session starts at 17.00 in which it is debated the request on the suspension of the President. | |
| The President argues that in plenary session does not succeed to cohabit with PSD and PNL. "The first thing that you have considered to occupy is the President's suspension, "said Traian Băsescu. | |
| The Chairman of LSU, Crin Antonescu, claims that:” We want you to suspend you today. In reality you have suspended yourself by many years from the President function”. Crin Antonescu argues that if the President will not be dismissed in the referendum then he will withdraw from political life. Traian Băsescu leaves the Parliament plen when in plenary speak to them Crin Antonescu and Călin Popescu Tăriceanu. | |
| Hunor Kelemen, President of the Democratic Alliance of Hungarians in Romania( UDMR), argues that each MP of the Union will vote as his conscience dictates. Minority leaders and UNPR( National Union for Romania’s Progress) leaders do not want to speak in plenary. | |
| “I've been accused of being a dictator. Have you seen a dictator for giving to the opposition the position of premier or of the secret services?” President Traian Băsescu said in conclusion. The President added that he knew his consciousness that has made the debt to the country and the people. | |
| The Lawmakers voted for the suspension of the President Traian Băsescu with 256 votes "for" and 114 "against". President Traian Băsescu is suspended from Office. | |
| The President of the Senate, Crin Antonescu, proposes the President's impeachment referendum to be organized on 29 July. The proposal shall be adopted by the Parliament. | |
| President of the Senate, Crin Antonescu, said on Friday, after the suspension of President Traian Băsescu by Parliament that would exercise the mandate of interim explaining that he will deal with "responsibility and discretion”. “During the interim, I will carry out the mandate as any normal man, I make the difference and I will do the entire period between a chosen President and one caretaker, "said Crin Antonescu. | |
| The President assured in a statement release that will return after the July 29 at Cotroceni and Victor Ponta will still be in Office, he will not give him a new mandate in autumn even if LSU wins the elections. “Victor Ponta should not wait on July 29 . He currently is a man about whom all over Europe know that he plagiarizes. Maybe Victor Ponta thinks to another solution for his life than to remain premier with this stamp on the forehead, "said Traian Băsescu. | |
Immediately after the vote in Parliament, President Traian Băsescu said that he had referred the matter to the Constitutional Court. |
Translated by Anamaria Petrache
MTTLC, Bucharest University
