RRI Live!

Listen to Radio Romania International Live

Conflicts over the 2014 state budget

The 2014 budget bill and its planned increase in the excise duty on fuel gives rise to heated debates.

Conflicts over the 2014 state budget
Conflicts over the 2014 state budget

, 04.12.2013, 13:19

Tuesday’s meeting between president Traian Basescu and prime minister Victor Ponta achieved very little in the way of reaching an agreement on the value of the excise duty on fuel, with the two maintaining their opposing views.



While president Basescu fears the budget revenues brought in by the 7-eurocent increase in the excise duty on fuel might be used for election purposes, the prime minister says the increase has already been established with Romania’s international lenders.



Making use of the constitutional procedures at his disposal, Traian Basescu says he will send the budget bill back to Parliament for reexamination, accompanied by concrete suggestions as to where budget allocations may be cut so as to maintain the level of budget deficit agreed with the international financial institutions without having to increase the excise duty. According to the president, one such example is the ministry of regional development, where too much money has been allocated. President Traian Basescu:



“It is my moral duty as a president to warn Romanians that funds for the political clientele are being collected, at their expense, through the state budget. I can but only use the legal means at my disposal, namely to send the budget bill back to Parliament and possibly even challenge it before the Constitutional Court if I believe it contains unconstitutional provisions. This is the extent of what I can do. There is also no other means by which I can force the government to withdraw its emergency ordinance amending the fiscal code, for example. So, I’m sending the budget bill back to Parliament for a new vote and if it passes in the same version, I will have to sign it into law.”



Prime minister Victor Ponta has described the president’s position as inflexible:



“The president will send the bill back to Parliament and challenge it before the Constitutional Court. I only asked him to initiate these procedures, which he himself admitted no other president has used in the last 23 years, within a reasonable period of time, so that we can have a state budget by January 1st. He neither agreed, nor refused.”



In the opinion of the economic analyst Aurelian Dochia, both solutions to cut spending and eliminate tax increases proposed by the government and the president are feasible. At the end of the day, this is a political choice, because technically, there is always an alternative when it comes to the structure of the budget. At this point, however, the conflict between the president and the government has led to an increase in the exchange rate.

Klaus Iohannis, at the EPC summit (Budapest, Hungary)
Today in the News Friday, 08 November 2024

EPC meeting in Budapest

European leaders met in Budapest to discuss security challenges facing Europe, with an emphasis on the situation in Ukraine, as well as the issues of...

EPC meeting in Budapest
Photo: pixabay.com
Today in the News Friday, 08 November 2024

Romania, from wages to youth unemployment

Data from the Statistical Office of the European Union – Eurostat show that the adjusted average annual full-time salary of Romanians is the fourth...

Romania, from wages to youth unemployment
Donald Trump (Photo: Facebook / Donald J. Trump)
Today in the News Thursday, 07 November 2024

Reactions to the election of Donald Trump

Many political leaders around the world have reacted by congratulating the Republican Donald Trump, who announced his victory in the US presidential...

Reactions to the election of Donald Trump
Foto: pixabay.com
Today in the News Thursday, 07 November 2024

Farmers and the Common Agricultural Policy

The Romanian Minister of Agriculture Florin Barbu and the European Commissioner for Agriculture, the Polish Janusz Wojciechowski, who is on formal...

Farmers and the Common Agricultural Policy
Today in the News Wednesday, 06 November 2024

Roxana Mînzatu, endorsed by the Romanian Parliament

Romanian Government’s proposal for the position of European Commissioner in the future Community Executive, the Social Democrat Roxana Mînzatu has...

Roxana Mînzatu, endorsed by the Romanian Parliament
Today in the News Wednesday, 06 November 2024

Japanese Investments in Energy and Technology

Important Japanese companies have expressed their interest, these days, in Bucharest, to invest in Romania, in transport infrastructure, energy,...

Japanese Investments in Energy and Technology
Today in the News Tuesday, 05 November 2024

NATO must stay united

NATO will work with the winner of the US elections, whoever that person may be and will do its best to stay united, NATO secretary general Mark Rutte...

NATO must stay united
Today in the News Monday, 04 November 2024

Moldova stays on path to Europe

Moldova’s pro-European president Maia Sandu won a new  4-year term in Sunday’s second round run-off, with over 55% of the votes cast in the...

Moldova stays on path to Europe

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