Romanian PM Widens Speech, Explains Stance On Current Issues

 

Traian Basescu is living in a world far from reality when he supports the 50% salary increase for teachers, Tariceanu said, adding Basescu’s accusations against the Government are “nonsense.”

 

"The president, much like other political leaders, such as (democrat liberal leader) Emil Bog and (social democrat leader) Mircea Geoana, are in this grand electoral campaign and they believe this populist attitude will bring them votes," said Tariceanu.

 

He reminded the salary increases need to be correlated with economic performance, without "a single measure" in the application of these hikes.

 

Romanian president Traian Basescu said Tuesday the Government is not honest, as, even though it opposes the increase of teacher salaries, it issued an Ordinance increasing the salaries of hospital managers, as well as an ordinance increasing 4.4 times the salaries in the National Housing Agency.

 

 

Tariceanu replied to Basescu’s accusations regarding the Government’s lack of honesty, saying Basescu proposed, Monday in a telephone conversation, a talk, Tuesday after the Government meeting, and later went on criticizing the Executive.

 

Tariceanu said he was called by the president Monday afternoon and Basescu proposed a meeting in which the salary hikes were to be discussed. According to Tariceanu, during the conversation, both he and the president maintained their views on this topic, but he accepted the meeting as a refusal would not have been normal.

 

"Let me tell you something to get this entire honesty thing straightened out. Are you familiar with the debate on salaries? Well, yes. The stances taken by the Prime Minister and the President? Yesterday I received a call in the afternoon. I am informed that the President is on the phone. I didn’t know why he is calling me, I find it civilized to answer. «Yes, good evening, mister President.» «Mister Prime Minister, you know, this entire salary situation, I think it would be best for us to meet and talk ». «Yes, we will meet, ok, but know this, to my knowledge I have only proven interest towards Romania’s wellbeing, and not electoral gain, a view we should both adopt»," Tariceanu recounted.

 

Later, Tariceanu went on, before the meeting set for Tuesday evening, without any prior warning, president Traian Basescu issued a press statement where he accused the Government of not being honest. In these conditions, the meeting was cancelled.

 

"Today I was watching television and I see the president saying: the Prime Minister, with whom he had talked the day before, is dishonest and so on. So, since you mention honesty, where is the honesty? One minute I am invited for a talk, the next he is on TV," Tariceanu said.

 

He added the Government meeting had been called and the Government’s attitude was practically known, before the President’s call.

 

"In principle we said we would meet late in the afternoon, early in the evening, but we didn’t meet, because he came out armed with sentences, calling the Prime Minister all sorts of names. So who’s talking about honesty? That is the question,” said Tariceanu.

 

Asked if he would agree to another meeting with the President, Tariceanu replied this is "a game that is going a bit too far," and there have been many occasions where his fair, rational and decent attitude regarding relations with President was met with such games.

 

 

Regarding the challenge issued by the Greater Romania Party against the outlining of the uninominal voting constituencies, the Prime Minister said justice is not to analyze the adequacy of using uninominal votes in the Parliament elections, a system implemented by political decision. Justice needs to analyze legality issues.

"It is not the role of justice to analyze adequacy, only legality,” Tariceanu said.

 

He added the Greater Romania Party challenges this system for political reasons.

 

The Bucharest Court of Appeal approved Tuesday the Greater Romania Party's request to notify the Constitutional Court on the legality of several texts within Government Ordinance no. 66 and 97 in 2008.

 

 

Regarding the law increasing teacher salaries by 50%, a law blocked by the Government through Emergency Ordinance, the Prime Minister said the Executive will find other solutions to block the 50% increase if the Parliament rejects the Emergency Ordinance postponing the application of the law until April 2009.

 

"We will find another solution, I don’t know if this means another Emergency Ordinance. As long as I am Prime Minister, such a measure will not be applied, not because of ambition, but because it would ruin Romanian economy. I don’t see how succumbing to populisms oozed by Boc, Geoana and the president, one month before elections, would be a very wise political solution," the Prime Minister said when asked what the Government would do if the Parliament rejects the Ordinance.

 

He added the Executive needs not resign, but it might be faced with a no-confidence motion, should the necessary signatures be collected.

 

 

Salaries in education can be increased by 50% in stages, depending on performance, and the procedure will be set next year by the next Government, said Tariceanu.

 

He added he is not against the 50% increase in teacher salaries, but these hikes need to be applied in stages and with respect for performance.

 

"Did I say there will be money in April? The Ordinance enacted Tuesday by the Government leaves time to the future Government and, if economic conditions in the region and on an international level are better, if the economic crisis will have died down or passed us, then such matters can be approached, but then too there will not be talks of 50%, only in stages,” Tariceanu said.

 

The Romanian Government decided Tuesday to postpone applying the law raising teachers’ wages by 50% until April 1, 2009.