Consultations at Cotroceni/UPDATE/Iohannis: I am inviting parliamentary parties to sign political pact for European Romania

President Klaus Iohannis on Wednesday announced he invited the parliamentary parties to sign a national agreement for a European Romania. "I found that there is a wide convergence. The wide majority of parties agreed that the results of this referendum must be implemented as the people voted, that Romania's European path must be consolidated. Consequently, in order to properly capitalise on this vote and consultations, I have decided to invite the parliamentary political parties to sign together a national agreement for the consolidation of Romania's European path or a political pact for a European Romania," the head of state said at the Cotroceni Presidential Palace. He showed that this national political agreement for the consolidation of Romania's European path basically includes the transposition into legislation of the interdiction on amnesty and pardon for corruption offences and the banning on the Government adopting emergency ordinances in the area of crimes, punishments, judiciary organisation correlated with the right of some constitutional authorities to directly notify the Constitutional Court about ordinances, as well as the translation into legislation of the necessary measures for ensuring integrity in public offices, the revision of the justice laws, including the emergency ordinances that have been fully and strictly modified in agreement with the opinions of the Venice Commission, the consultative councils of European judges and prosecutors, as well as the European Commission and GRECO reports, the adoption of the amendments to the Criminal Code and the Criminal Procedure Code only with the full observance of the recommendations of the Venice Commission and the European Commission. "I propose that those signing the pact to commit to transpose into legislation at the shortest the necessary measures for ensuring both in the country and abroad the full and effective exercise of the right to vote by the Romanian citizens," Iohannis said. He also showed that this agreement would be sent to the parliamentary parties on Wednesday. "I am waiting a positive response in a few days to my initiation to sign this national agreement," he also said. He pointed out that the referendum results show that almost 8 million Romanians turned out to vote, out of whom about 6,500,000 said yes to both questions in the justice area. The head of state underscored that the result of the referendum must be transposed into legislation. "This massive turnout in the referendum and the overwhelming yes vote show that Romanians didn't strictly vote for these questions. These firm answers must be turned into legislation. The Romanians have voted, the politicians must now implement the result of the vote and it is clear that the referendum results must be turned into legislation. There must be created the legislation actually banning amnesty and pardon for corrupts, how legislation must be given for banning emergency ordinances in the justice area and in criminal policy, as well as the extension of the right to challenge the constitutionality of some emergency ordinances. This seems to be the result of the referendum. This is the basic result and we must go further and understand the political importance of this vote from Romanians. Romanians have clearly and firmly voted against an anti-European approach promoted in the campaign by PSD and ALDE, two parties that have been drastically sanctioned by the electorate. Therefore, Romanians have clearly showed that Romania is a pro-European country, Romanians are a pro-European nation. This is very important. This must be taken into account and politicians must draw conclusions. We haven't entered the EU by chance or by mistake. We, Romanians, wanted to be in the EU. This doesn't diminish our sovereignty, but this is also a sovereign decision. We want to be part of this European space based on principles and values," Iohannis added. The right to vote is consecrated through the Constitution and politicians have the obligation to create the conditions for all Romanians to vote, he said. "The possibility of voting must be concretely not only theoretically created. Everything that has happened abroad is called the restriction of the right to vote and this is unacceptable," Iohannis maintained. President Klaus Iohannis had Tuesday through Wednesday consultations with the parliamentary parties and formations to establish "the action directions necessary for implementing the national referendum of May 26." AGERPRES (RO - author: Florentina Peia, editor: Florin Marin; EN - editor: Adina Panaitescu)