Romanian PM: Opposition’s Administrative Reorganization Plan Requires Revising Constitution

Boc said the final format of the Democratic Liberal Party’s proposition on Romania’s territorial and administrative reorganization will be decided by the ruling coalition. He added the European Union is not against authorities’ move to reorganize the country.

According to the prime minister, the opposition Social Liberal Union’s reorganization plan implies setting up new administrative structures – regions, adding this can only be done by revising the fundamental law.

He pointed out that the opposition’s alternative solution will increase the number of public servants, will favor red tape and hinder the implementation of development projects.

Earlier Saturday, the opposition leaders presented their own plan on reorganizing the country.

According to opposition social democrat leader Victor Ponta, the country’s eight development regions should also be regional administration centers led by prefects appointed by the Government.

Democratic Liberal Party general secretary Ioan Oltean announced in a press conference on Friday the Government will seek a confidence vote in Parliament to adopt the act on the country’s administrative reorganization.

The ruling party’s proposal is to reorganize the country into eight counties, from the current 41. The new counties would have their capitals at Cluj-Napoca, Brasov, Timisoara, Craiova, Constanta, Iasi, Ploiesti and Bucharest.

The ministries’ decentralized services would have eight local offices, instead of 41, bringing the authorities closer to the citizen, according to Oltean. He added that many matters handled by these services and by the county councils would be transferred to commune, town and city halls.