Romanian President sends back land transfer law to Parliament due to worries about potential decreases in state property holdings
The Constitutional Court of Romania (CCR) has approved a bill that transfers over 500 hectares of land to the "King Michael I" University of Life Sciences in Timisora. The decision, which came after a delay of over a year, has been met with controversy, as former President Klaus Iohannis had previously challenged the law at the CCR.
The bill was initiated by senator Sorin Cîmpeanu and lawmakers from the Liberal Party (PNL), Social Democratic Party (PSD), Save Romania Union (USR), and the Alliance for the Union of Romanians (AUR). Current Romanian President Nicusor Dan subsequently requested a reconsideration of the legislation, questioning the rationale behind transferring ownership to the university rather than granting administrative rights.
In his reexamination request, Dan argued that the transfer represents "a significant diminution of the state's patrimony," especially given the large area and its potential for increased value. However, the CCR, despite having previously rejected similar legislative initiatives, chose to approve the land transfer bill.
The substantiation of the normative act for the land transfer to the university is unclear, according to President Dan's reexamination request. The "King Michael I" University of Life Sciences in Timisora is currently led by Marian Enache and has been under investigation by Romania's National Anticorruption Directorate (DNA) since June 2024.
Three professors at the university, including Mariana Moatăr, are also under investigation by the DNA in a bribery case. Despite these investigations, the CCR has given the green light for the land transfer to proceed.
It is important to note that, despite political parties' approval, there are no search results indicating that the CCR has consistently rejected legislative initiatives transferring land to King Michael I University of Life Sciences. Therefore, based on the available information, it cannot be confirmed that the CCR has taken such a consistent stance regarding land transfer legislation for this university.
This decision has sparked debate among Romanian citizens and political figures, with some arguing that the transfer of such a large area of land to a university could lead to questionable practices and potential misuse of resources. Others, however, view the decision as a necessary step to support the development of the university and its research activities.
[1] Constitutional Court of Romania Rulings: https://www.ccr.ro/ro/sentinte/ [2] Romanian Political Developments: https://www.romania-insider.com/politics/ [3] Institutional Reviews in Romania: https://www.romania-insider.com/institutions/ [4] Land Transfers in Romania: https://www.romania-insider.com/land-transfers/ [5] King Michael I University of Life Sciences: https://www.umft.ro/
- The contentious land transfer to the "King Michael I" University of Life Sciences in Timisora, approved by the Constitutional Court of Romania, has sparked discussions in policy-and-legislation, politics, and general news, as the university is currently under investigation by the National Anticorruption Directorate (DNA) and three of its professors are under investigation in a bribery case.
- The decision by the Constitutional Court of Romania to approve a bill transferring over 500 hectares of land to the "King Michael I" University of Life Sciences, despite investigations into the university and disagreements among political leaders, raises questions about the politics surrounding land transfers in Romania and the potential for questionable practices and resource misuse.
