The Senate’s Judiciary Committee and Culture Committee decided, during their joint meeting on Tuesday, to postpone for one week the debate and issuance of a report on the bill concerning the legal status of the Royal House, bill tabled by House Speaker Liviu Dragnea and Senate Speaker Calin Popescu Tariceanu.
Chairing the meeting, PSD Senator Robert Cazanciuc proposed the postponement of the bill regulating the legal status of the Royal House of Romania, arguing that the Government did not express a point of view. A Government representative, present at the meeting on Tuesday, pointed out that the Government did issue a point of view which is bound to arrive at the Senate Judiciary Committee.
“I have the feeling this bill is signed by two colleagues, a Senator and a House member. The House regulations and the Senator’s statute does not say that the Speaker of the House or of the Senate has a preferential status. The PNL Group supports the one-week postponement, because we believe it normal for the Government to also tell us what its point of view is. On the other hand, I believe we can celebrate the New Year’s Eve even if this law is not adopted,” PNL Senator Daniel Fenechiu stated.
ALDE Senator Ionut Sibinescu insisted that the bill be debated during Tuesday’s meeting.
“Still, I would like to remind you that the two Speakers are the initiators of this bill and I also looked over the request lodged with the Standing Bureau, for an emergency procedure, signed also by the two Speakers, Mr Liviu Dragnea and Calin Popescu-Tariceanu,” Sibinescu said.
On November 7, Senate Speaker Calin Popescu Tariceanu and House Speaker Liviu Dragnea tabled a bill regulating the legal status of the Royal House of Romania, the bill recognising it as a private law entity. According to its substantiation, the bill seeks to recognise the juridical personality of the Royal House of Romania.
Likewise, it seeks to recognise the position of Head of the Royal House of Romania, as a honorary position similar to that of a former head of state, endowed with the prerogative of adopting the Statute of the Royal House of Romania, and to institute an administrative service of the Royal House of Romania, strictly for the purpose of fulfilling its public prerogatives, that would be financed from the state budget, within the limit of budget allocations and with the assignment, for free use, of the Elisabeta Palace (with the maintenance of the state’s public ownership right over it) as headquarters of the Royal House of Romania. “The operational costs of the Royal House of Romania are to be financed from the state budget, within the limit approved annually via Government Decision,” reads the bill.
According to a Senate communique, these provisions will ensure the framework for an even more intense involvement in Romanian society on the part of the Royal House. “Now more than ever, there is the need for an institution above partisan politics, in which Romanians would see a benchmark of balance and continuity,” reads a Senate press release. The two Speakers of Parliament claim that the bill is a recognition of the way King Michael did his duty toward the country.
Orban: PNL will endorse the bill on the status of the Royal House
PNL President Ludovic Orban stated on Tuesday that the party will endorse the bill regulating the legal status of the Royal House of Romania, which stipulates its recognition as a private law entity.
Asked whether the PNL will endorse the bill regulating the legal status of the Royal House, Orban said: “We will endorse it. In fact, the bill dates back from the time of the Ciolos Government, there were also some discussions at the level of the Presidency. The way it was tabled in Parliament was unfortunate, but this doesn’t matter.”
