The Chamber of Deputies discussed on Thursday, July 5, the draft bill on Romania’s Administration Code and will vote on it on Monday, local Mediafax reported.

The Administration Code sets the rules for the functioning of local authorities in Romania. Two of the code’s provisions have been intensely debated in recent months, namely the special pensions for elected local officials and the use of the native language in local administration in localities where minorities represent less than 20% of the local population.

According to the Administration Code, mayors, deputy mayors, county council presidents and vice presidents will get special pensions based on the number of terms served, which will be paid from the state budget. The code also provides that the local authorities can decide to use the native language of minorities in public administration even in the localities where minorities represent less than 20% of the population.

The current law provides that native language is mandatory in the local administration where minorities represent over 20% of the population, but the Hungarian Union (UDMR) wanted this threshold lowered. Opposition MPs accused the ruling coalition of conceding to UDMR to get the Hungarians’ support on the changes to the criminal codes, which were passed by the Parliament recently.

Romanian Senate adopts new Administration Code

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