President Klaus Iohannis appointed his former advisor Simina Tanasescu to serve as a member of the Constitutional Court for a nine-year term starting on June 9.

The replacement of the Court’s members, whose terms are expiring in June, might shift the majority from the ruling coalition to a more balanced structure, Digi24.ro commented. “The majority, until now favourable to the senior ruling party - the Social Democratic Party, might change,” according to the comment.

Simina Tanasescu will replace judge Petre Lăzăroiu at the Constitutional Court. An academic for most part of her career and having served only briefly as judge in 1991-1993, she also served later in international organisations and was appointed in 2015 by Iohannis as presidential advisor. But she had to resign in 2018 after an incident related to Constitutional Court member Lăzăroiu. In an encounter later claimed to have been private, Teodorescu informed Lăzăroiu about his likely dismissal amid criticism expressed by a certain NGO, local Mediafax reported. Lăzăroiu was at that time in favour or dismissing the head of the National Anticorruption Directorate (DNA), Laura Codruta Kovesi, a scenario that president Iohannis was striving to prevent.

The Chamber of Deputies and Senate also have to come up with new nominations for the Constitutional Court. Each party can submit its proposals for these positions but the final nominations will be made by the majority.

editor@romania-insider.com

(Photo source: Presidency.ro)