PRO Europe wants Constitution to specify Romania's EU, NATO membership

The PRO Europe parliamentary group is pushing for a change in the Constitution according to the will expressed in the May 26 referendum, but would also like to introduce other issues in the fundamental law, if there is a favorable majority for them, the group's representative Daniel Constantin said on Wednesday at the end of talks with President Klaus Iohannis. "We would like to incorporate other aspects that are currently unclear in this process of amending the Constitution. They are not things that require extensive citizen consultation and ample debate in the Romanian Parliament, because that would take time. A first aspect is related to the fact that in the current Constitution there is no mention of the fact that Romania is a member of the EU and NATO. (...) Second thing: guaranteeing the constitutional right to vote for the Romanians from in the country and abroad. One thing that needs to be clarified is a clarification on which I think all parties have to agree, especially after the problems that we faced in the May 26 elections, especially with the vote abroad. Another clarification: there is in the Constitution a mention of ‘serious violations' of the Constitution; they are not defined and so they are debatable. We want to come up with these changes so that we no longer have to notify the Constitutional Court, to waste time (...). Make things as clear as possible at constitutional level," he explained. Constantin pointed out that he also discussed human rights with Iohannis. PRO Europe MP Sorin Cimpeanu said that the group's representatives favour holding the referendum to amend the Constitution on the same day with the presidential election. "It is logical to tie in the referendum to amend the Constitution with the presidential election or local elections or the parliamentary election, and because the presidential election is the closest I think it is an argument to support having the referendum and the presidential election at the same time," Cimpeanu said. AGERPRES (RO - author: Florentina Peia, editor: Georgiana Tanasescu; EN - author: Corneliu-Aurelian Colceriu, editor: Adina Panaitescu)