‘Power-Opposition dialogue’ on administrative reorganization

President Traian Băsescu is inviting political parties to Cotroceni to discuss the new Constitution and the country’s administrative reorganization.

The Head of State said that the Government is going to assume the country’s reorganization.

He added that he cannot say exactly when the Government is going to assume responsibility for the reorganization, but he mentioned that both the administrative reorganization and the changes in the Constitution are for the benefit of the citizens.

Gradual Reorganization

President Traian Băsescu said that the reorganization should occur gradually and not overnight, but he stated that it should be done before the 2012 elections.

‘There is a consensus that the country should be administratively reorganized. As in the case of the constitution, there was not unanimity on the way it should be done, but both the Opposition and the Power believe it needs to happen. In this case, I believe we have the chance of a Power-Opposition dialogue, which might lead to a common solution’, Traian Băsescu said.

‘No Extra Conditions’ for Schengen Bid

The Head of State also said he would like to correct the idea that Romania’s Schengen bid has failed.

Traian Băsescu argued that it is not a delay and that, finally, Romania is going to find out the date at which it will join the Schengen Area at the Justice Council – Internal Affairs in September.

‘We at least know what the time approaches are. We officially reject any new conditions for the Schengen bid. These conditions are not in Romania’s Adhesion Treaty. The obligation was purely technical for a Schengen bid’, Traian Băsescu said.

The President admitted we have a problem and that no other country has suffered this much because of its judicial system.

The President believes that the Schengen matter also depends on the state of justice and that countries like Germany, France or the Netherlands are going to make a decision based on the justice report next month.


Translated by: Gabriela Lungu
MA Student, MTTLC, Bucharest University