Debates at Romania’s Constitutional Court
Complaints put forward by Romania’s President Klaus Iohannis, opposition National Liberal Party (PNUL) and Save Romania Union (USR) concerning a new law on the country’s Administrative Code come under debate at the Constitutional Court on Thursday. President Iohannis claims the act was adopted in an extraordinary session which proved to be uncostitutional as only the parliament’s lower house, the House of Deputies, passed the document while existing law stipulated that such vote should be bicameral. Other claims refer to obligations and responsibilities of local authorities and institutions of central public administration established by the new law which are unclear, the president notes. In another move, PNL and USR claim that special pensions granted to local authorities in the new Code are a breach of the principle of equality before the law.
Joint Romanian-Ukrainian military exercises
Romania and Ukraine conduct joint military exercises in the Black Sea on Thursday. Earlier in September, Ukraine and Romania have conducted their first joint naval exercises on the Danube River between Izmail and the Romanian port of Brăila. Rear Admiral Horia Macellariu corvette will perform a series of naval exercises along with Ukraine’s top patrol ships near the mouth of the Danube River and the Serpents’ Island. Following Russia’s annexation of Crimea, the Black Sea region has been subject to a constant and accelerated militarisation. The increase in the quantity and complexity of the military capabilities concentrated in the region represents a matter of real concern for the regional and global actors. Under these circumstances, states in the region feel the need to invest in technological innovation or military acquisition in order to pursue extensive modernisation and enforce their co-operation.
Romania’s PNL leader at the DNA
The leader of Romania’s opposition National Liberal Party (PNL) appeared before prosecutors of the country’s anti-corruption watchdog, the DNA, on Thursday. Ludovic Orban told reporters he appeared as a witness following a complaint put forward by Viorel Cataramă, a well-known businessman and former politician, who was kicked out of the party recently. A PNL member since the ’90s, Mr. Cataramă said he would file a criminal complaint against Mr. Orban and other 15 PNL senior members on the ground that they tried to oust him from the party while forging the result of a vote on nominating the future PM put forward by PNL.
BEC judges for October referendum established
Romania’s High Court of Cassation and Justice (ICCJ) nominated on Thursday the seven judges included in the Central Election Bureau (BEC) for a two-day referendum in October. The BEC judges include Lavinia Dascălu, Rodica Zaharia, Cosmin Horia Mihăianu, Marius Ionel Ionescu, Mona Magdalena Baciu, Oana Burnel şi Ionuţ Mihai Matei. The seven judges are expected to elect their president. Romania will hold a referendum on changes to the Constitution that could effectively permanently ban gay marriage. The country’s top court approved earlier a public vote on an amendment that would explicitly state that marriage is a union between a man and a woman. The event follows a petition signed by three million Romanians in support of a change in the constitution. Last week the Senate approved the referendum by 107 votes. The Constitutional Court’s 7-2 decision was the final hurdle and the vote will go ahead on October 6-7. Romania does not currently recognise same-sex marriage or offer legal protection to same-sex couples.
Alexandru Danga
