The first day of autumn will open a new session of the Romanian
Parliament in Bucharest. The number one priority of the ruling coalition is the
law on vulnerable consumers. Already adopted by the Senate, the bill is on the
agenda of the Chamber of Deputies and will provide financial state support to
families with low income, helping them pay one energy bill. The
Social-Democrats in opposition have called for the swift debate and adoption of
the law, claiming it should take effect this cold season, not starting January
2022, as the Government has proposed.
The Social-Democrats also want a
mechanism for capping prices in the event the market reports an artificial
price hike. Coalition leaders are expected
to decide on the way they want to eliminate the Special Section for
Investigating Crime in Justice, which both Romanian and foreign experts claim
it was a useless institution, aimed at intimidating magistrates and blocking
the fight against corruption. All voices within the ruling coalition have
agreed to disband the section, although they have not yet reached a consensus
on how to do that. The Social Democrats also want to debate and swiftly adopt
the bill No more criminals in public office, a topic which for years has been
upheld by the right-wing. The Social-Democrats also plan on filing a
no-confidence motion against Florin Cîţu’s Cabinet. Most pundits say the
Social-Democrats now enjoy a very comfortable position, considering recent
polls.
The frustration and anxiety of Romanian society has become transparent
in surveys as well, as two thirds of respondents say things are not going well
in Romania. In the event of an election, 35% of respondents would vote for PSD,
while only 21% for PNL. AUR would grab the third-largest number of votes,
followed by the USR-PLUS alliance. As always, UDMR is barely meeting the
electoral threshold of 5%. The coalition is far from working smoothly, and is
yet to meet some of the promises made in the election campaign, such as
eliminating the Special Section and returning to the two-ballot system for the
local elections. Finally, this autumn both PNL, as well as the USR-PLUS
alliance, are due to host special congresses to elect a new leadership.
Traditionally, this occasions a fierce infighting, sprayed with blows below the
belt and scandals that often make headlines. (VP)