​President Basescu addresses the Parliament on matters of internal politics, news agency Agerpres informs. The chief of state said that he believed it was necessary to address the Parliament to underline some o the elements proposed for the revision of the Constitution. During his speech, opposition leaders Crin Antonescu and Victor Ponta talk to journalists in another chamber of the Parliament. News television Realitatea TV airs images without sound with the two leaders of the opposition talking to journalists.

Here are Basescu’s main statements:

  • My presence in the Parliament is related strictly to the proposal to revise the Constitution  

  • I believed it was necessary to be in the Parliament to present some of the elements revising the constitution  

  • In the decision of the Constitutional Court related to the project revising the constitution there are recommendation that can be considered  

  • Some of the elements from the project revising the Constitution: to implement the result of the 2009 referendum on creating a unicameral parliament and on decreasing the number of parliamentarians

      
  • There are serious grounds for changing the structure because the two chambers are behaving as a unicameral system by tacitly adopting laws 

  • Any project will be debated and adopted in two readings  

  • The parliament can adopt projects in emergency procedure by decreasing the 30 day deadline 

  • I proposed the obligation of judges to submit to the authority of the constitution, law and decisions of the Constitutional Court whose mandatory character was not always respected by courts  

  • I considered that the President of Romania should not be a part in the Superior Council of Magistracy  

  • I considered we need to clarify the relations between the Parliament, President and government  

  • I considered to clarify some constitutional rules regarding Romania’s quality of NATO member 

  • State institutions need to fulfill their obligations that incur from its position as NATO member Romania has the obligation to avoid an excessive budgetary deficit at maximum 3% of GDP and foreign debt at maximum 60% of GDP 

     
  • Foreign loans are usually made for investments 

  • We increased to 48 hours the length of which a person can be retained. This is in the advantage of the retained also because he can ensure his/hers defense  

  • I believe it will be a mistake not to accept the limitations on Parliamentary immunity; The Parliament need to offer citizens the relaxation that Parliamentarians are not above the law

About territorial reorganization

  • There are many who claim that it has been an issue announced on the knees When I do not reach political parties, I start to speak publicly. 

  • I noticed the lack of appetite of the main governing party for this issue 

  • Each county has over 44-45 branches of the main institutions. 

  • Currently governmental agencies are suffocating local administration and mayors and communities cannot react 

     
  • We need to let the country breath by cutting the number of governmental agencies and transferring attributions to local administration 

  • We need to massively restructure agencies 

  • We need to depoliticize the administration Reorganization is necessary; I do not believe that it is an abandoned topic

      
  • I know that it is not a popular subject 

  • Let’s diminish the number of stamps one needs, let’s let the country breath