Romanian Senate President Challenges Prime Minister

Senate Pres. Mircea Geoana said the Senate has been left out of important policy decisions made by the Prime Minister.
Romanian Senate President Challenges Prime Minister
Senate President and PSD leader Mircea Geoana celebrates his party’s victory in the November 30 Parliamentary elections. (Daniel Mihailescu/AFP/Getty Images)
3/11/2009
Updated:
3/11/2009
<a href="https://www.theepochtimes.com/assets/uploads/2015/07/gogogo83862521_medium.jpg"><img src="https://www.theepochtimes.com/assets/uploads/2015/07/gogogo83862521_medium.jpg" alt="Senate President and PSD leader Mircea Geoana celebrates his party's victory in the November 30 Parliamentary elections.  (Daniel Mihailescu/AFP/Getty Images)" title="Senate President and PSD leader Mircea Geoana celebrates his party's victory in the November 30 Parliamentary elections.  (Daniel Mihailescu/AFP/Getty Images)" width="300" class="size-medium wp-image-64729"/></a>
Senate President and PSD leader Mircea Geoana celebrates his party's victory in the November 30 Parliamentary elections.  (Daniel Mihailescu/AFP/Getty Images)
Mircea Geoana, President of the Romanian Senate and social-democratic leader, said the Senate has been left in the dark about important fiscal policy decisions made by the Prime Minister. Geona will call for an explanatory meeting with the Prime Minister and the coalition partners.

Geoana wants an explanation for a recent letter of intent sent by the Romanian Government to the European Commission about an agreement with the International Monetary Fund (IMF).

He said the presence of a Romanian team in Washington, or two or three representatives of the IMF in Bucharest, should not be state secrets, and that the Social-Democrats Party (PSD) and the press should know about them. Geoana has urged the government partners to “have the courage” to explain the consequences of such agreements to Romanians.

He said the PSD will discuss the matter with the Prime Minister Wednesday, but due to other priorities, a meeting of coalition government will be most likely held on Thursday.

“I intend to ask tomorrow that the prime minister and coalition partners will hold a meeting specifically for this. Now is the time to discuss seriously about the ability of the current government to propose a package to Romania to maintain the economic growth in 2009, avoid recession, and to support the employment,” said the senate leader.

Geoana expressed regret to the fact that “the beginning of discussions with the IMF was, and remains, somewhat in an “unjustified and mysterious fog.”