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| Proposals for Amending the Constitution 02/06/2011 |
| (2011-06-02) |
| Last updated: 2011-06-03 13:23 EET |
It was the November 2009 referendum, when voters opted for reforming Parliament as well as for changing Romania’s statute following its NATO and EU accession, that underlay Basescu’s argument in favour of starting proceedings to revise the Constitution. Adopted in 1991, two years after the anti-communist revolution and last amended in 2003, the Constitution is still seen as contradictory and confusing.
The amendments to the constitution proposed by Basescu would provide for a single-chamber Parliament with a maximum of 300 lawmakers to replace the 471 who currently sit in the two houses. Also, the government would be able to seek only one confidence vote in Parliament during one plenary session, while budget deficit targets could not be set above 3%. Another proposal is to exempt state authorities that enforce the state’s fiscal policies from any legal restrictions.
The Romanian head of state on Wednesday gave details regarding the proceedings to pass the draft of the revised Constitution: “After receiving the opinion of the Legislative Council, I will forward it together with the draft Constitution to the political parties to take note of the view of the Legislative Council. I also plan to address Parliament towards the end of June, right after submitting the bill to Parliament, to defend my point of view regarding the revision.”
The pro-presidential Liberal-Democratic Party supports the president’s initiative to amend the Constitution, saying it would do away with inconsistencies in the constitutional and political system. Other political parties in the ruling coalition, among which the Democratic Union of Ethnic Hungarians in Romania, did not agree with the proposal to eliminate a chamber of Parliament and with certain provisions that might arguably weaken Parliament’s role and strengthen the president’s power.
Senator Gyorgy Frunda explains: “The constitution proposed by the president is that of a presidential republic where all institutions, including the government and Parliament, are directly or indirectly subordinated to the president.”
The Social Democrats in the opposition say the president should first hold consultations with parliamentary parties, as the president’s bill should only be the starting point for amending the Constitution. The Liberals in turn say the president’s initiative is aimed at diverting public attention away from more pressing matters such as the country’s economic and social situation. Such views have flared skeptical reactions from political pundits, who argue the president’s proposal would not garner the required votes to pass the bill into law.
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2025-04-03
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