Premium
Chamber of Deputies Speaker Ludovic Orban says that the bill that repeals the special pensions for lawmakers and which cleared Parliament today is "perfectly constitutional."
"From my point of view, this bill adopted today by the joint Chambers is perfectly constitutional and is an act of justice done by the current MPs to the Romanian citizens. The current lawmakers, all those who voted, have shown that they are not above the law, that they respect the principle of equal rights and don't want to use their MP position to enjoy rights other citizens don't enjoy. I repeat this, it's constitutional. Just as a majority has decided to introduce this right in the Law on the lawmakers' statutes, Parliament has the right to stop the grant of this right to any former or incumbent lawmaker," Orban said.
"We will look at the legislation in each field of activity. (...) We'll have to take into account all the rulings of the Constitutional Court handed down during the various notification (...) or constitutional challenge procedures," said the Chairman of the National Liberal Party, adding that overtaxing these pensions is not a solution.
The Parliament plenum adopted on Wednesday the repeal of the special pensions of the senators and deputies.
Liberal deputy Florin Roman warned that the bill raises major constitutional issues, and Social Democrat floor leader Alfred Simonis said that the potentially unconstitutional amendments to the bill were tabled by the Save Romania Union - Freedom, Unity and Solidarity Party and the National Liberal Party.
