Presidency accuses Gov’t of blocking Romania’s international commitments. ‘We have no money for the Summit…”

By Alina Grigoras Last updated Aug 7, 2018

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The Government is blocking Romania’s international commitments and it uses the public funds as a political tool, the Presidential Administration’s spokeswoman has stated on Tuesday. She complained that due to the cuts of the Presidency’s budget following the latest budget rectification, Romania cannot host the ‘The Three Seas Initiative’ summit anymore. The summit was supposed to take place in Bucharest during September 17-18.

According to the Presidency’s spokesperson, Madalina Dobrovolschi, President Iohannis’ activity is jeopardized due to the 19pc cut of the Presidential Administration’s budget. The spokeswoman also warned that activities related to Romania’s mandate at the helm of the EU Council as of January 1, 2019, are also in danger.

The Presidency considers that the recent budget rectification has been transformed into “a budgetary tool to sanction the political foes and the institutions which are not subordinated to PSD” and that it represents “gross violation” and “an attempt to block the activity of a fundamental institution”.

“The consequences are seriously impacting on the Romanian President’s actions and implicitly, on the Romanian state’s representation,” the Presidency’s spokeswoman added.

“After the incumbent parliamentary majority has repeatedly tried to amputate the Romanian President’s prerogatives, now the Government is resorting to this type of budgetary sabotage. Regardless what the political decision makers think, it is not about Klaus Iohannis here, it is about the Romanian state and its citizens,” Dobrovolschi underlined.

She further said that the Presidential Administration had found out from the premier’s statements last week and after that from a document released on the Government’s website that it is among the state institutions that will have a negative budgetary rectification of over RON 10 million.

“The Presidential Administration has informed the Government that such a wide rectification, worth around 10 pc of the approved budget would practically block the activity this year. The Presidency also presented arguments on the financing needs for the third quarter of this year. Despite this, the Government has knowingly ignored all arguments and maintained the decision to cut the budget credits (…),” the spokeswoman detailed.

The Presidency also disclosed that it had previously tackled this issue with Darius Valcov, who has been authorized by PM Dancila to take care of it.

The Three Seas Initiative Summit was supposed to bring 12 heads of state from the Central and Southeastern Europe to Bucharest, alongside the President of the European Commission and other top level guests from the U.S. and from the leaderships of some European and international financial institutions. On the same occasion, a Business Forum was also in store, with over 600 participants attending: businessmen and officials from those 12 countries, U.S., R. of Moldova, Ukraine, Georgia and some states of the Western Balkans.

FinMin retorts: There is money for the Summit

In retort, Finance Minister Eugen Teodorovici, says there is money in the budget for the Three Seas Summit, adding that the Presidential Administration is introducing expenditures in the Finance Ministry’s expense system right now.

“There is money allotted for the Three Seas Summit, so that it should take place in good conditions. The sums are budgeted,” Teodorovici told Antena 3.

He added that, through the statements made today, the representatives of the Presidency prove they have no good expertise in the finance field.

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