President Traian Băsescu was asked, on Digi 24, what he thinks about the fact that, after two years of war, we learn that Romania has no reservists for the army and that we do not produce enough NATO ammunition, writes Agerpres.
Traian Băsescu PHOTO: The truth
“We are left with only one solution to create a sufficient number of soldiers – the reintroduction of mandatory military training. I know I'm blowing straws, but reintroducing conscription is necessary for our security. Look even at Ciolacu, who I'm convinced doesn't understand much, when you look for him he says 'we have security ensured by the strongest alliance in history, NATO'. Yes, but Mr. Ciolacu doesn't know that you have the obligation to be able to defend yourself for several months until the NATO forces come to help you, in case of an invasion. What does 2,000 marines at Kogălniceanu and 1,000 foreign soldiers at Cincu under French command mean? It means nothing at all. You have to have an army that allows you to hold out for 45-60 days, until NATO mobilizes its war resources to help you”said Basescu.
Băsescu mentioned that those governors who cut the Defense budget can be accused of treason.
“I would say that those who kept cutting from the Defense budget, and I can tell you that there was a CSAT in which I told a prime minister that it was treason, but that in 50 years when the CSAT archives will be opened, treason it meant cutting military spending. And the Constitutional Court also came and did one thing – the president had a lever, the budget had to receive the CSAT's opinion in the areas of the institutions of force, army, Ministry of Interior, intelligence services. During Mr. Ponta's time, the CCR established that the CSAT opinion is optional and it is not mandatory for the Government to take into account the CSAT opinion. At that moment, the authority of the president as commander of the armed forces was shattered, because at the moment all responsibility, by the decision of the CCR, was transferred to the Government. So the president, although he is responsible for security, no longer has the leverage to tell the Government 'I'm sorry, Romania needs ammunition, artillery, because we don't produce our own NATO ammunition'”Traian Băsescu also said.
