Mihai Busuioc, Asztalos Csaba and Dacian Cosmin Dragoș are the new judges of the Constitutional Court of Romania. The ceremony of the oath took place on Sunday at the Cotroceni Palace, in the presence of the highest state officials.
Mihai Busuioc, Asztalos Csaba and Dacian Cosmin Dragoș Photos: Inquam Photos / George Călin
The three new members of the Constitutional Court of Romania, Mihai Busuioc, Asztalos Csaba and Dacian Cosmin Dragoș, took the oath on Sunday, at the Cotroceni Palace. The president of Romania, Nicușor Dan, Prime Minister Ilie Bolojan, the Senate president, Mircea Abrudean, the deputy chair of the Chamber of Deputies, Raluca Turcan, as well as members of the Constitutional Court were present at the ceremony.
Mandates begin in a staggered way. On Sunday, Mihai Busuioc’s activity, proposed by the PSD in the Senate, began officially, replacing Marian Enache and Asztalos Csaba, proposed by the UDMR from the Chamber of Deputies. On Monday, Dacian Cosmin Dragoș, named by President Nicușor Dan, is to begin.
Who are the current judges and how are they called
According to the Constitution of Romania, the Constitutional Court consists of nine judges, appointed for a mandate of 9 years, without the possibility of extension or renewal. Three are designated by the Chamber of Deputies, three by the Senate and three by the President of the country. Also, the president of the CCR is elected by secret vote for a three -year term.
The current composition of the Court is as follows:
- Simina Tănăsescu – appointed by the President of Romania in 2019;
- Cristian Deliorga – named by the Senate in 2019;
- Gheorghe Stan – appointed by the Chamber of Deputies in 2019;
- Mihaela Ciochina – appointed by the President of Romania in 2022;
- Laura Iuliana Scântei – called by the Senate in 2022;
- Bogdan Licu – appointed by the Chamber of Deputies in 2022;
- The three new judges: Busuioc, Csaba and Dragoș.
In order to hold the position of judge at the CCR, a higher legal training, a at least 18 years old in the legal or higher legal teaching field and high professional competence is required. The function is incompatible with any other public or private position, except for the didactic activity in higher legal education.
Controversies related to retirement premium
In parallel with the Cotroceni ceremony, the former Minister of Justice, Ana Birchall, drew attention to the financial benefits received by the three judges who retire from the RCC. In a post, Birchall claims that each of them would receive a premium of about 35,000 euros, the equivalent of six net allowances.
“The 3 CCR judges are retired will legally benefit from a premium of about 35 thousand euros (6 net allowances each)“, Birchall wrote on social networks. She also states that the payment of this amount could be legally prevented, by urgently amending Law no. 232/2004, before July 13, 2025.
“After this date it is considered to be won and if they are not paid now, they will win them in court!”, Warns the former minister, who asks rhetorically: “Who has the courage to do it? Right or complicity? The moment of truth between facts and only political statements!“
