New interim President Nicolae Vacaroiu took over his duties by meeting some of suspended President Traian Basescu’s aides at the presidential Cotroceni Palace on Saturday. He used the occasion to explain his priorities for the several weeks he is expected to spend at the helm of the country.

He said the would summon a meeting of the Supreme Defense Council (CSAT) to discuss a series of draft national security laws which have been passed with a no-vote in the House of Deputies.

He also said he would push for the Parliament to pass a long-expected law on the establishment of the National Agency for Integrity (ANI) which would check the wealth of elected and other top officials in the country. He said the law should be passed within days.

The ANI law, which has been pressed for by the European Commission. has been waiting in the Parliament for many months as it had become a subject of dispute between Basescu and Justice minister Monica Macovei, on one hand, and many parliamentary parties on the other hand. The former had pushed a law seen as too harsh by many MPs. That version had been changed and changed back repeatedly over the past year.

Vacaroiu took over as interim President after the Parliament decided to suspend President Traian Basescu last week.