Abrudean: Discussions regarding the Ombudsman must be clarified within the coalition before the vote

„I think it’s a coalition discussion. There was a previous agreement, and I suspect that we will not reach a situation where there is a lack of coordination in the joint plenary session, at least at the coalition level. It is a very important position for Romania, which has been discussed and agreed upon at the level of the parliamentary majority,” Abrudean said.

The statements come in the context of PSD leaders announcing that they will not support the current proposal for the position of Ombudsman, even though, according to coalition negotiations, the nomination falls to the Save Romania Union.

The Social Democrats have stated that they agree that the USR should make the nomination, but are requesting a different candidate than those put forward so far, arguing that the proposed person should not receive a special pension.

The USR supports Roxana Rizoiu for this position.

When asked what would happen if the PSD officially requested a change of candidate, Abrudean said that the decision belongs primarily to the USR, but such a situation could complicate the parliamentary procedure.

„A timetable has been set, with deadlines for submitting nominations and hearings in committees. If the proposal is changed, the procedure becomes more complicated and could mean that tomorrow the subject could no longer be discussed on the agenda of the joint plenary session, as approved by the Joint Standing Committees,” explained the Senate president.

Asked whether the PSD has the right to request a change of candidate, Abrudean stressed that in politics, every party can make requests, but the final decision belongs to Parliament.

„Everyone has the right to ask for what they want. What matters is what is ultimately decided and the vote in Parliament,” he said.

The Senate President also said that, from the point of view of the National Liberal Party, there have been no problems so far with Roxana Rizoiu’s candidacy.

„If she meets the conditions, passes the hearings, comes to the plenary session, and the vote will take place. We have not discussed this issue in detail, but so far we have not seen any problems from our perspective,” Abrudean added.