Romanian president returns to office after invalid referendum and two-month time out

Romania's president Traian Basescu returned to office on Tuesday, August 28, almost two months after being suspended. He arrived at the Cotroceni Palace, the presidency's headquarters, on Tuesday morning, after the Parliament read the referendum invalidity decision and the Official Gazette published it.

Suspended by the Parliament on July 6 and having survived the presidential impeachment referendum on July 29, Basescu had to wait until the country's Constitutional Court declared the referendum invalid, as less than half plus one of the registered voters attended it. The leader of the National Liberal Party (PNL) Crin Antonescu, who is also the head of the Chamber of Deputies, was the interim president during this two-month period. During his campaign and while trying to return at the helm of the country, Basescu asked his supporters not to attend the referendum, and himself did not vote, in order to return to office because of referendum invalidity. The whole period was marked by political instability and harsh political comments on all sides, with the Social Liberal Union (USL), which controlled the Government and the presidency during this period fighting the now opposing party the Democrat Liberal Party, which supports the president. Traian Basescu will have to work with a Government backed up by USL, including with Prime Minister Victor Ponta, the leader of the Social Democratic Party (PSD) and part of the USL. Only 46.24 percent of registered Romanian voters attended the referendum, on July 29, and 87.5 percent of them voted for the impeachment of the president, according to final official data. A less than half plus one attendance of registered voters meant the vote was invalid and allowed the suspended president to return to office. editor@romania-insider.com