The decisions that the Constitutional Court has taken during the recent years have influenced the lives of Romanians , they have completely shaken up the political settings in our country. Whether it’s about salaries cutting or retirement’s benefits recalculation, the magistrates have had a decisive role.
The latest controverted decision made by the Constitutional Court is the one regarding president’s Traian Basescu referendum impeachment. The decision to invalidate the elections is being called into question by USL and by three of the Court’s Judges.
In June, the Court has also settled the issue concerning Romania’s representation before the European Council. The judges ruled than that the Prime Minister can take part in the meetings only expressly delegated by the head of state. Victor Ponta did not comply with the CCR’s ruling and went to Brussels.
In April 2012, CCR’s magistrates ruled the charge of a 5,5% contribution to the health fund for people with a pension income under 740 ron per month, as illegal. The Government is now forced to give people back the amounts collected through this type of tax. At the beginning of the year, the Court ruled as unconstitutional the Law regarding the merge of local elections with the legislative ones, previously assumed by the Boc Government .
Therefore, local elections and parliamentary elections are to be held separately.
The Court intervened also in June 2010 when it ruled as unconstitutional the decision announced by president Traian Basescu to cut pensions off by 15%. The decision came shortly after the judges had claimed that special pensions recalculation was constitutional.
Another controverted decision was the one ruled in February 2008 when magistrates gave the president the right to refuse the Premier’s proposition for the appointment of a minister, something that had never happened before.