Withdrawal From Romanian Supreme Def Council Unrelated To CC Decision – Senate Chairman

“Every Constitutional Court decision must be respected and this applies to us all. My reasons for withdrawing from the Supreme Defense Council led by [Romanian President] Traian Basescu are the ones I stated at the time. There is no connection to today’s decision. I am determined that we should give the Council, as of next year, the part it needs to play in Romania’s power structure,” Geoana said.

The Romanian Constitutional Court (CC) decided Tuesday that Government Emergency Ordinance 224, enabling Senate Chairman Mircea Geoana to become vice-president of the High Council for National Defense, is unconstitutional.

The Constitutional Court issued a ruling, Tuesday, on the notice of unconstitutionality of the Law approving Government Emergency Ordinance no.224/2008 amending article 5 section (2) of Law no.415/2002 on the organization and functioning of the High Council for National Defense, according to the Constitutional Court.

The notice was filed by 65 MPs in the control unfolded prior to the promulgation of the law, in accordance with the provisions of article 146 letter a) of the Constitution.

Following debates, the Constitutional Court noted, with a majority of votes, that the law is unconstitutional, due to a breach of constitutional norms on the enactment of the emergency ordinance.

The explanatory note will be presented in the body of the decision, which will be published in the Official Journal of Romania, Part I.

Geoana said on June 7 he is withdrawing from the Supreme Defense Council, or CSAT. The Senate Chairman accused president Basescu of using the Army’s image for election purposes, referring to the recent visits the head of state made in Romania’s operation theaters in Iraq and Afghanistan. At the time, several social democrat leaders said there are signals that the ordinance would be ruled unconstitutional by the Constitutional Court.

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