Senate's Tariceanu: CCR cannot favour the president regarding the budget; it's a chicanery of Government

President of the Senate Calin Popescu-Tariceanu stated that President Klaus Iohannis sent the budget to the Constitutional Court (CCR) in order "to tease" the Government and argued that the CCR cannot favour the head of state on this matter according to Agerpres.

"There are very important economic and social measures in the budget. What did the President choose to do? You've seen, it's an obvious chicanery of the Government. I don't recall any President in the past to have sent the budget to the Constitutional Court because the budget is predominantly a prerogative of the Executive and Parliament and it doesn't contain elements of constitutionality or unconstitutionality as a different law," Tariceanu told Romania TV private television station.

He argued that the President sent the budget to the CCR in order "tease" the Government.

"I believe he has mistaken a lot. The President positioned himself (...) to be the leader of the opposition and this is a standpoint. Certainly, you're no longer the President of the country, you've left the constitutional core, the constitutional prerogatives and play this role. It's not alright. Undoubtedly. But, this is what the president thinks he should do. I believe that it's bad for Romania. Namely, instead of being the president of all Romanians, he chose this stance. I believe that it is a major mistake," Tariceanu mentioned.

He underscored that the CCR decision of 6 March cannot favour the president.

"On 6 March the CCR decision will be issued, therefore, things will unblock, this is what I believe, that the CCR cannot favour the president on this matter, it would be a new posture in which, besides the Government and Parliament, we would have a player on the budget who doesn't have this constitutional role.