The president of the Chamber of Deputies and head of the Social Democratic Party (PSD), Sorin Grindeanu, on May 20 filed a request with the Constitutional Court (CCR) to resolve an alleged legal conflict of a constitutional nature between the Parliament and the government, regarding the so-called “SAFE ordinance,” adopted by the interim government of prime minister Ilie Bolojan. The Ombudsman also referred the ordinance to the Constitutional Court because the interim government exceeded its powers.
The government argued that it has only re-approved the ordinance, previously approved by the executive before the no-confidence motion, to bring it in line with the Legislative Council’s recommendations.
Grindeanu, however, claimed that the government added elements that exceed the scope of the EU-backed SAFE scheme for defence endowment.
The conflict comes less than two weeks before the deadline for sealing the contracts financed under the SAFE scheme. President Nicusor Dan previously assured that the parties of the former ruling coalition reached an agreement on key national priorities, including SAFE.
Sorin Grindeanu asked the CCR to find that Government Emergency Ordinance No. 38/2026 was adopted and transmitted for publication, exceeding the constitutional powers of the government dismissed by a no-confidence motion, according to Radiooltenia.ro.
The former president of the Constitutional Court, Tudorel Toader, told Antena 3 CNN that, in his opinion, the complaint filed with the Constitutional Court by Sorin Grindeanu will not be admitted, as there is no legal conflict of a constitutional nature between the government and Parliament.
However, the Ombudsman’s complaint could be accepted by the CCR, because the rxecutive “categorically had no right to issue the ordinance” after being dismissed by Parliament. If the constitutional judges admit this complaint, the effects of the ordinance regarding defence investments, in the context of the SAFE program, will be annulled, Tudorel Toader also said.
iulian@romania-insider.com
(Photo source: Inquam Photos/Octav Ganea)
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