Revision of Constitution "Parliament's task"

President Traian Băsescu said that he had chosen to send the Constitution revision draft in its original form to the Parliament, leaving the legislature the freedom to reformulate the project.

"In this case I have two options. One is to revise the text of the project and return to the Constitutional Court following the justified decision of the Constitutional Court, or to send the CC"s decision, the project and the LC's notification to the Parliament, to give the Parliament the freedom to review the Constitution. I have chosen the latter, to give the Parliament the freedom to reformulate."

The Head of State stated that he had given the Parliament the freedom to revise the Constitution because in his opinion, one can no longer turn the blind eye to "the obligation of not protecting illegal wealth, especially since the Constitution itself requires that the current EU legislation should prevail over the internal regulation."

According to him, "a law allowing extensive confiscation of assets illicitly acquired must be written."

The Head of State announced on Thursday morning that he would send the Constitution revision draft to the Parliament."

Romania is losing trials at the ECHR due to "unfair judgment"

President Traian Băsescu stated that the judicial power had no responsibility even for errors.

He used as an example the trials that Romania has at the European Court of Human Rights.

"Let me give you as an example what is happening at the European Court of Human Rights, where Romania lost trial after trial because of crooked, unfair judgment, for many times, or lack of trial within a reasonable time. The Romanian state still pays what judges do not do or what they do wrong. "

"It is time for this power to be held accountable because the executive power is booed when it makes mistakes, the legislative power, the members of the Parliament pay whenever they make mistakes, they are no longer elected.

"The only ones who do not have any responsibility for the poor management of their activity are both judges and prosecutors, not only judges," Băsescu said in an interview at Radio Romania.

The President said that Romania should not tolerate abuses against citizens:

"A democratic country cannot tolerate such abuses. And then someone must be held responsible", Traian Băsescu said.

Territorial reorganization, on economic criteria

Asked on which criteria the territorial reorganization was made, President Traian Băsescu said that the economic development was the main criterion.

"The organization of the new counties on the perimeter of the areas of economic development, the outline was established following a thorough study carried out by the European Union, jointly with Romanian specialists, who have concentrated on increasing the growth capacity of developing regions, so that these regions could be viable. "

"And this while taking into account the population issue - the number of citizens -, the economic development, the natural resources and the environmental situation.

"So all these elements and many more were taken into consideration when conducting the study for the designation of these regions of economic development", Traian Băsescu said.

According to him the territorial reorganization aims at debureaucratization and reducing costs:

"All the activities undertaken by the County Council would be transferred to town halls. One of the objectives, apart from being able to access EU funds to develop regional programmes, is to reduce the operating costs of the state", Băsescu said.

Asked if the number of Euro-regions is questionable or negotiable, Băsescu reiterated the idea that there is a need for compromise.

"It is the second consecutive day of talking about the need for compromise – of course we must secure a compromise solution, because a law that would clean Romania from bureaucracy and corruption at the county level, is a law that must pass through Parliament, which requires half plus one of the members of the Parliament; and UDMR is part of the alliance.

"We will see; we have had many discussions with them. They have absurd proposals, but have proposals can be discussed", Băsescu said.

In his opinion, it would be a failure if Liberal Democratic Party (PDL) would not accept a compromise in this regard:

"I think that it will be a big failure if PDL does not accept a compromise, sacrificing the reorganization and reducing the state body. Our aim must be to reduce the state because the state is puzzling everybody", Traian Băsescu said.

As for the reorganization costs, the President said that it would not cost much.

"The reorganization will not cost much, because we have not brought something extra. The future county capital already has a county council already, the body, the logistics are all there. The costs will be diminished."

"For example, only staff costs, following an initial analysis, amount to 100 million per year", President Băsescu said.

Romania, a debt level of no more than 60 percent of GDP

Asked about the budget deficit and the public debt, Băsescu said that the budget deficit must not exceed 3 percent and the public debt must be at most 60 percent of GDP:

"Our future aim should be to reduce the public debt. And 60 percent is the Maastricht criteria, the European criteria. As a member of the European Union, the debt level must not exceed 60 percent of GDP, but it is recommended to stay away from this 60 percent", Băsescu said.

President Băsescu said that Romania can no longer live from loans.

"We must understand that future developments, namely shifts due to the financial crisis that the western countries have been facing, primarily generate other approaches. No one will be able to live on future money. Nations that will live with the money they produce will be the only ones to succeed."

The President believes that our country could recover more quickly than other EU countries.

"Given our debt of about 31 percent of GDP, compared with other EU countries, we could recover more easily if we are wise because these states will have to pay debts. So we have to get used to with the money that we produce, not with borrowed money, which we have to pay back with interest", President Băsescu said on România Actualităţi.


Translated by: Denisse-Meda Bucura
MA Student, MTTLC, Bucharest University