#Presidential elections 2019/Dan Barna: Reform of Constitution is needed

The candidate of the USR PLUS Alliance in the presidential elections, Dan Barna, declared on Sunday in Iasi that a revision of the Constitution is needed, as the fundamental law is exceeded by the development stage of the society.

"Indeed, it is necessary to reform the Constitution, because, at the moment, there is no doubt, it is beyond the stage of development of the society. One of the measures is for the president to be a real arbiter of public policies in Romania. (...) How simple it would have been for President Iohannis to convene today and dissolve Parliament, if he could, and to call early elections. Wouldn't we have come out of the crisis naturally and correctly? It is one of the measures: for the president to be allowed to call early elections," Barna said.

In his opinion, there must be "a balance" between the Parliament and the president in terms of the possibility of revocation or dissolution in the mirror. If the Legislature wants to suspend the head of state and the popular consultation does not pass, the president, in his turn, could dissolve the Parliament and call for early elections, explained the USR leader.

According to him, the president must also have an "active" role in voting and building the state budget.

"Another important role I see for the president's position is to play an active role in approving the budget in the government. (...) The president is the most legitimate political institution in the Romanian state, because he is the only one directly voted by the citizens. From this perspective, the president voted by the citizens, has all the authority of the representation of the citizens who sent him there, I think the president must have a role in what it means to adopt the budget and the priorities that are really important for the citizens, whether we are talking about infrastructure, whether we are talking about education," said Dan Barna.