Senate speaker, Calin Popescu Tariceanu and Chamber of Deputies speaker, Liviu Dragnea, have withdrawn from Parliament the draft law on the legal status of the Royal House of Romania.
The draft law initiated by Tariceanu and Dragnea has been filed in the Senate on November 8, 2017.
Later on January 10, 2018, the Government has issued a negative opinion on Wednesday on the legislative initiative regarding the legal status of the Royal House.
Previously, the former Tudose Cabinet also announced they would give negative opinion to the draft law on the legal status of the Royal House. He also said that Elisabeta Palace in Bucharest was given to King Michael as former head of state, not to his descendants
The bill was to bring under regulation the legal statute of the Romania’s Royal House, saying the Romanian Royal House will become private legal entity of public utility, meaning the members will be entitled to receive financing directly from the state budget.
According to the draft, Crown Princess Margareta and her husband were to have the same rights and benefits as the former heads of state, after King Michael’s death.
Moreover, by the draft law, the official position of head of the Romanian Royal House will be assimilated to the one of a former head of state.
Therefore, princess Margareta and her husband are to benefit of a house free of charge, a monthly allowance, as well as permanent car and security provided by the Romanian Protection and Guard Service (SPP).
King Michael enjoyed these benefits as former head of state before his death.
Dragnea says a new bill has been tabled
Chamber speaker Liviu Dragnea has explained the reasons for which the bill on the Royal House’s status had been withdrawn, claiming the draft would have had unconstitutional issues.
“We have had frequent meetings with the representatives of the Royal House in the past weeks. Me and Mr. Tariceanu appointed the deputy speaker of the Chamber of Deputies, Gabriel Vlase, to meet the Royal House’s representatives and we came to the joint conclusion that the draft tabled in the Senate was not feasible and had potential risks to be declared unconstitutional. Together we drafted another bill, it has already been tabled in the Chamber of Deputies, which stipulates the establishment of an institution that will manage the Royal House issue, to avoid any unconstitutional risk and in order to be enforceable. We agreed it with the representatives of the Royal House. The state’s costs will be minimal and I think it’s a solution that will please all,” Dragnea explained.
As for the Elisabeta Palace issue, he said the Royal House should not pay rent for it, but it should be consigned to the Royal House, as it happens in the case of other NGOs that are using state properties for free.