RRI Live!

Listen to Radio Romania International Live

Constitutional Court Rules on Local Officials

Local elected officials having received suspended prison sentences will lose their seats, the Constitutional Court of Romania ruled.


Warning: Trying to access array offset on null in /home/web/rri.ro/public/wp-content/themes/rri/template-parts/content.php on line 53
Constitutional Court Rules on Local Officials
Constitutional Court Rules on Local Officials


Warning: Trying to access array offset on null in /home/web/rri.ro/public/wp-content/themes/rri/template-parts/content.php on line 98
, 07.07.2016, 13:24

Until last summer, an ambiguous paragraph in the Law regulating the status of local elected officials enabled the mayors that had received suspended prison sentences to keep their seats. In June 2015, Romania’s Supreme Court ruled however that all officials having received final sentences, whether or not suspended, should be dismissed. But while many officials in this situation have been discharged, others would not step down and challenged the orders in court. Meanwhile, a number of MPs tabled a bill that cancelled the ruling of the Supreme Court.



The Law on local elected officials was eventually amended, to the effect that those officials having been given suspended sentences were allowed to stay in office. The Head of State found this to be unacceptable, and therefore notified the Constitutional Court in this respect. The law comes against core principles of the rule of law and hinders the fight against corruption, President Klaus Iohannis argued. On Wednesday, the Constitutional Court judges endorsed the President’s view.



The interim president of the Constitutional Court, Valer Dorneanu, explained, “The Court had in mind the fact that a discriminatory situation had been generated and that the solution given by Parliament would have disregarded the lawmakers’ goal, namely to protect the integrity and responsibility of the local elected official position.”



Consequently, the local elected officials subject to final prison sentences will lose their seats. The executive director of the Public Innovation Institute, political science expert Ovidiu Voicu, said in his turn, in an interview to a private radio station, “It is a decision triggered by common sense, and of course anyone can see that, except for the politicians in this situation. I believe it is clear for everybody that an elected official can no longer represent the citizens after having committed offences that are incompatible with that position.”



According to the media, last year, when the Supreme Court passed its ruling, there were 61 mayors who had received suspended prison sentences, in three-quarters of Romania’s counties. Equally relevant, four of Bucharest’s six district mayors and the mayor general were arrested under corruption-related charges. And most recently, the western town of Deva will have to organise local elections again, because Mircia Muntean, the mayor elected on June 5, was sentenced to six years in prison, after a recent two-year sentence for driving under the influence was merged into a four-year suspended sentence of abuse of office.



(Translated by Ana Maria Popescu)

Source: MAPN
Today in the News Monday, 07 April 2025

Romania celebrates 21 years of NATO membership

“The values promoted by the Washington Treaty, in particular the deep significance of Article 5 referring to collective defence, have been and will...

Romania celebrates 21 years of NATO membership
Sebastian Burduja / Photo: gov.ro
Today in the News Monday, 07 April 2025

Romania and energy sources

Azerbaijan has been supplying gas to the European Union since December 2020 and has become an important alternative in the context of the energy...

Romania and energy sources
Finance Minister Tánczos Barna (Photo: gov.ro)
Today in the News Friday, 04 April 2025

Aid for companies affected by US tariffs

Romania, just like other European economies, is preparing for the new tariffs announced by the Trump administration.   The government in...

Aid for companies affected by US tariffs
Meeting of the defence minister Angel Tîlvar and the NATO secretary general, Mark Rutte
Today in the News Friday, 04 April 2025

Meetings on defence

  The international hysteria about the US abandoning NATO is unwarranted, the US Secretary of State Marco Rubio told the foreign ministers of...

Meetings on defence
Today in the News Thursday, 03 April 2025

New US Customs Duties

The US president Donald Trump has made a decision, experts predicted long ago, namely new tariffs on all imports to US. In a speech delivered at the...

New US Customs Duties
Today in the News Thursday, 03 April 2025

Romania, towards the OECD

Romania is on track to complete all the technical analyses for joining the OECD in the next twelve months or so. The announcement was made by the...

Romania, towards the OECD
Today in the News Wednesday, 02 April 2025

EU reacts to US tariffs

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen says Brussels has prepared “a strong plan” containing “firm countermeasures” to counter...

EU reacts to US tariffs
Today in the News Wednesday, 02 April 2025

Romania is getting ready for elections

Romania had in 2024, like in no other year in three and a half decades since it transitioned to democracy, four rounds of elections – local,...

Romania is getting ready for elections

Partners

Muzeul Național al Țăranului Român Muzeul Național al Țăranului Român
Liga Studentilor Romani din Strainatate - LSRS Liga Studentilor Romani din Strainatate - LSRS
Modernism | The Leading Romanian Art Magazine Online Modernism | The Leading Romanian Art Magazine Online
Institului European din România Institului European din România
Institutul Francez din România – Bucureşti Institutul Francez din România – Bucureşti
Muzeul Național de Artă al României Muzeul Național de Artă al României
Le petit Journal Le petit Journal
Radio Prague International Radio Prague International
Muzeul Național de Istorie a României Muzeul Național de Istorie a României
ARCUB ARCUB
Radio Canada International Radio Canada International
Muzeul Național al Satului „Dimitrie Gusti” Muzeul Național al Satului „Dimitrie Gusti”
SWI swissinfo.ch SWI swissinfo.ch
UBB Radio ONLINE UBB Radio ONLINE
Strona główna - English Section - polskieradio.pl Strona główna - English Section - polskieradio.pl
creart - Centrul de Creație Artă și Tradiție al Municipiului Bucuresti creart - Centrul de Creație Artă și Tradiție al Municipiului Bucuresti
italradio italradio
Institutul Confucius Institutul Confucius
BUCPRESS - știri din Cernăuți BUCPRESS - știri din Cernăuți

Affiliates

Euranet Plus Euranet Plus
AIB | the trade association for international broadcasters AIB | the trade association for international broadcasters
Digital Radio Mondiale Digital Radio Mondiale
News and current affairs from Germany and around the world News and current affairs from Germany and around the world
Comunità radiotelevisiva italofona Comunità radiotelevisiva italofona

Providers

RADIOCOM RADIOCOM
Zeno Media - The Everything Audio Company Zeno Media - The Everything Audio Company