Translated material
Integrity out of turn
European criticism influenced Romanian senators
The extraordinary session of parliament, convened at the proposal of Romanian President Traian Basescu, entered its final stage yesterday - the plenary session of the Senate began. The main task of the upper house was to amend the law on the National Integrity Agency. This department was created in 2007 to combat corruption at the top, in particular to make decisions regarding the unjustified acquisition of property by government officials.However, the Romanian Senate diluted the content of the law so much that the European Commission, in a report on judicial reform and the fight against corruption in Romania, sharply criticized Bucharest. The executive body of the European Union reproached Romanian legislators for blocking investigations against former ministers and the ex-prime minister. The Supreme Council of Magistracy (the supreme body of the Romanian judiciary) was criticized in Europe for removing from under fire personnel who had committed fines in public procurement. After this, the constitutional court, at the request of the president, declared the new version of the law on the National Integrity Agency unconstitutional - and the document was returned to parliament.
Last week, the lower house of deputies restored many important provisions of the original version of the law. Now officials will have to again declare real estate data (though without specifying addresses), bank accounts, credit cards (you can take out loans with them) and jewelry. Contracts concluded by individuals - that is, by the same officials - with the state should also be recorded. These requirements apply to the leaders of trade unions and to members of the socio-economic council created in May of this year - this is an independent advisory body to the president with the participation of employers, trade unions and the government. All of these individuals may be subject to review within three years of leaving their positions. Identified illegally acquired material goods will be subject to confiscation, and legal liability will be discussed separately.
So, it's up to the Senate again. “Romania has obligations to the European Union regarding the eradication of corruption within its political class, so the law on the National Integrity Agency was considered in Bucharest and Brussels as an essential tool in this matter,” the famous Romanian sociologist and political commentator Stelian Tanase explained to Vremya Novostey . When the first version of the law came into force, “politicians faced big problems with regard to conflicts of interest and declarations of wealth, and therefore everything was done to water down the law.” However, this document also provides “a reason for internal political struggle.” After all, the cabinet of Liberal Democrats “is weakening every day, and the opposition - the Social Democrats and Liberals - is giving it battle.”
The second topic of heated debate in the Senate was the issue of increasing VAT from 19 to 25%. After all, the Senate Economic Commission, dominated by the Social Democrats, rejected the draft urgent government order to increase the VAT. But “this step, along with the cut in public sector employees’ salaries by a quarter starting in July, was precisely what was supposed to constitute a package of emergency anti-crisis measures.” VN’s interlocutor concluded that “Traian Basescu and his government are losing ground.”
Senators from the Social Democratic Party warned that they would not participate in a repeat vote on the law on the National Integrity Agency, but would ensure a quorum. They are mainly busy preparing a new vote of no confidence in the government. In mid-June, they, together with the liberals, already tried to overthrow the government, but were unsuccessful.
Now the opposition hopes that in the fall it will be supported by part of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party, in whose camp there is confusion and vacillation. According to the Social Democrats, the government of Emil Bock should be removed in order to then create a transitional technical cabinet of ministers that would prepare early parliamentary elections.