Romanian PM calls President's plans for referendum on government restructure a 'new scandal'

After earlier refraining from comment, Romania's PM Victor Ponta has labeled President Traian Basescu's plans for a referendum on the reorganization of the Parliament as a single chamber with maximum 300 MPs as a “new scandal.” The PM added that the government has plenty work to do and that the country has had enough political scandals in recent years. The Social Liberal Union (USL) leadership met to discuss the President's announcement, according to local news agency Mediafax. As well as the PM Victor Ponta (in picture, right), PNL and Senate leader Crin Antonescu (in picture, left), vice-premier Liviu Dragnea and the senators Ioan Chelaru and Tudor Chiuariu were reportedly present at the meeting. Romanian president Traian Basescu recently said that he has started the procedure to organize a new referendum, where people would again decide on having a single chamber Parliament and a maximum of 300 MPs. A similar referendum was organized in 2009, when the majority of those who voted were in favor of a smaller Parliament. Should the referendum be organized, it would be another expensive vote coming soon after last year’s referendum on whether to suspend the country’s president, which ended up invalidated. The country spent some EUR 22 million, or more or less EUR 1 per Romanian citizen, to organize the 2012 referendum. editor@romania-insider.com