Law provides excessive privileges for Romanian MPs

The Constitutional Court ruled that the statute of MPs entailing excessive privileges for senators and deputies and challenged by president Traian Basescu was fully constitutional and hence it was kept as such.

Earlier this year, Romanian MPs voted a law that provided them with good salaries, daily allowances, cars and lodging while in office and with high pensions after retirement, such as 450 euros for one four-year term in office, 720 euros for two terms, and 1000 euros for three terms.

The law was adopted on a background of steep poverty among Romanian pensioners who are making efforts to survive with an average pension of 100 Euros.

Lodging for one MP reaches the equivalent of two apartments worth 50000 dollars each, after one term. Additionally, all of them benefit from high salaries, traveling facilities home and abroad, car, expenditure fund for activities within constituency. All in all 571 bln Romanian lei for 332 deputies alone.

President Traian Basescu sent the law to Constituional Court before ensorsement, but the body found it perfectly constitutional. The only chance to cut off the MPs’ self-voted privileges stays with the Government, which might issue an ordinance in this matter.