Romania's acting PM backs mandatory publication of wealth statements

Romania's acting prime minister Ilie Bolojan said the government will support retaining the mandatory publication of asset declarations in the draft Integrity Law, distancing itself from a parliamentary amendment that would remove the requirement, according to Profit.ro.

The draft legislation is one of the milestones under Romania's National Recovery and Resilience Plan (PNRR) and is required to secure EU recovery funding.

Speaking on July 23, Bolojan said the original draft required public officials' asset declarations to be published on the websites of their institutions, rather than only being submitted to the National Integrity Agency (ANI).

"The government will support in Parliament, in the specialised committees in which this project will be discussed, through those who represent the Government, through the secretaries of state, through the Ministry of Justice, that the form adopted by Parliament be the one through which asset declarations are mandatorily published on the institution's website," Bolojan said.

He explained that the draft had undergone consultations with political parties before being submitted to Parliament. According to Bolojan, representatives of three parties took part in the discussions, while justice minister Radu Marinescu initially indicated he would submit proposals but ultimately did not do so.

The bill was subsequently registered in Parliament together with several amendments, including one that would eliminate the obligation to publish asset declarations online.

Asked who was responsible for allowing the proposal to reach Parliament in its amended form, Bolojan said the change originated from the Democratic Alliance of Hungarians in Romania (UDMR).

The Integrity Law is among the legislative measures Romania is seeking to adopt during the extraordinary parliamentary session convened to meet outstanding PNRR milestones.

(Photo source: Gov.ro)