The new administrative code approved through an emergency ordinance

The government in Bucharest passes a new administrative code through an emergency ordinance

Newsroom, 26.06.2019, 13:43

The new
administrative code comes to support the citizens currently facing the
shortcomings of the administrative system, Romania’s Deputy Prime Minister
Daniel Suciu announced on Tuesday after the aforementioned code had been passed
through an emergency ordinance.

According to
Suciu, the code is simplifying Public Administration regulations and sets in
place mechanisms aimed at preventing various institutional dysfunctions. The
document isn’t perfect, but can be improved in Parliament. Romania was in dire need
of a fresh administrative code and those criticizing this government decision actually
don’t want it passed since the document largely contributes to streamlining local
and central public administration.

Daniel Suciu: The document had been subjected to Parliament debates for six-seven
months, then challenged at the Constitutional Court and sent back to
Parliament. We have been already working on the next financial exercise with
the European Commission and we must accomplish what we have assumed regarding
the public function. We are two years behind the schedule regarding one
provision and one year behind another one assumed with the European Commission.

The code also
includes a series of controversial provisions regarding the special pensions of
local officials and the deadline for the president to appoint a government
member in case of reshuffling or resignation. The period for the Prime
Minister’s nominations are of five days, while the president will have to
validate or invalidate the nominee in 10 days.

Under the new
code, the president is allowed to refuse the nomination only once. According to
Daniel Suciu, no response term is stipulated under the present legislation and no
one can be held accountable for a prolonged interim position. The new code also
provides for a series of regulations and procedures for the validation of the
local councilors, elected through a court ruling and not through a decision by
a validation committee. Decision-making in local and county councils will need a
majority, which means half plus one of the total number of councilors.

The country’s
president, Klaus Iohannis, considers the present document a serious attack against
the entire administrative system adding that it should have been passed only after
a new round of Parliament debates and large-scale social dialogue. The
right-wing opposition is also contesting the new code.

The Save Romania
Union believes the document comprises a series of controversial provisions
favouring the local officials elected. The Liberals, who have described the new
code as being dedicated to the local PSD tycoons and tantamount to a national
hold-up, have called on the Ombudsman to notify the Constitutional Court.

In turn, Marian
Oprisan, the Social Democratic chair of the National County Councils Union has
hailed the new administrative code about which he said it helps clarifying
things and improving the administration relation with the citizens.

(translated by bill)