Last week President Klaus Iohannis announced that a referendum on
the judiciary will be held on May 26, concurrently with the election for the
European Parliament. Why? Because the justice system is under constant siege
from the Social Democratic Party, explained the President, who thinks that the
amateurism and incompetence of the current ruling alliance may be compounded by
its willingness to legislate to the benefit of criminals, with disastrous
consequences for the country. On Monday, President Iohannis went a step further
and announced that he would consult Parliament on a possible broadening of the scope
of the referendum, which he would like more powerful. The head of state once
again criticised the Government formed by the Social Democratic Party and the
Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for their non-transparent use of emergency
orders, and cautioned them to give up such acts in the field of the criminal
law until the referendum. President Klaus Iohannis:
I am going to propose a new consultation to the Parliament of
Romania, on broadening the scope of the referendum, to make it more efficient
and more powerful. I am warning the Government of Romania that it should no
longer issue emergency orders in the field of the judiciary and criminal law,
until the people have expressed their will, until we have found out the
sovereign will of Romanians.
In response, the Social Democratic Party announced it would not express
any position on the referendum until the President has announced the question
he intends to ask voters. The Social Democrats claim Iohannis intends to shift
the focus from topics like the economy, citizen incomes or the way the country
should be defended in the European Parliament, to issues having to do with the
judiciary. The Social Democratic Deputy Catalin Radulescu said the President
has to stop reproving Parliament and the Government. Catalin Radulescu:
Although today he benefits from the immunity granted under the
Constitution by his position as president of the country, at some point he may
no longer have it. The Government is neither his safe deposit box, nor an
appendix to the Presidency. He should stop making these threats, which are not
constitutional to begin with.
In the Opposition, the National Liberal Party equates the referendum
to a no confidence motion against the Cabinet, and as such it fully supports
the vote. The Liberal floor leader in the Chamber of Deputies, Raluca Turcan:
The National Liberal Party supports the President’s
initiative, just as it has supported, all this time, all those who have been
cheated, all those who have been abused, who have seen their hopes for an
honest and prosperous life in Romania dashed because of the Social Democratic
Party and the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats.
President Iohannis said he would also have consultations on the May
26 referendum with political parties as well. Last week, he had meetings on
this topic with civil society representatives, most of them in favour of this
vote, and with magistrate associations.