LOAN CONVERSION AND THE GIVING IN PAYMENT ARE LEFT STRANDED The offensive against the banks halted by the MPs and the judges of the Constitutional Court

The bank debtors' struggle seems to be neverending.

Debtors' hopes are dwindling by the day, while politicians seem to be playing both ends.

Yesterday, on October 11th, 2016, was the day that all borrowers were anxiously awaiting.

The members of the Chamber of Deputies and the judges of the Constitutional Court of Romania (CCR) was going to vote on the conversion of the CHF denominated loans (CHF) and, respectively, to decide on the constitutionality of the Law of giving in payment.

Neither the vote, nor the ruling of the CCR were held yesterday, as they were postponed, until the second half of October, (the draft of the Law of conversion may be debated next week, according to some of the MPs, and the ruling on the Law of giving in payment is scheduled to take place on October 25th, according to the representatives of the press bureau of the CCR.

Thus, the offensive against banks has been stopped, and CHF borrowers have been left to wait again, as has been the case for two years now.

Yesterday's talks were heated in the parliament and at the Constitutional Court, as deputies who attended the meeting as well as the lawyers of the Constitutional Court argued on the topics of the day.

While debtors feel like they've been abandoned, and the light at the end of the tunnel seems to be getting more and more distant, lawyer Gheorghe Piperea is trying to encourage them: "My impression is that the ruling of the judges of the Constitutional Court was already made, but that we have now succeeded in changing their view.

My explanation was clear - the law of giving in payment does not interfere with contracts".

Lawyer Stan Târnoveanu says that we are dealing with a pseudo-law, a law that is untrue, unreal, that is not necessary".

The CCR yesterday debated the 33 exceptions of unconstitutionality raised by commercial banks against the Law of giving in payment.

• The Parliament on Facebook

It isn't clear what has happened in the Parliament, because after the vote was suspended due to the lack of a quorum, deputies began arguing on Facebook.

The representatives of each of the two majority parties, (PNL and PSD) have accused each other of not attending the vote, while on the other hand claiming they were there.

On one hand, liberal leader Alina Gorghiu wrote, on her Facebook page, that the PNL has only boycotted the simple vote of non-confidence and that when the vote on the law of conversion was held, the PNL group was present in the room.

Her liberal colleague Andreea Paul said: "The way the PSD is mocking the laws which are on today's agenda is unbelievable (ed. note). The room is empty, with the exception of my parliamentary group. It is 15:50 and I have been here since 15:30 when the final vote was supposed to start, according to the officially announced schedule. The PSD group is not in the room".

On the other hand, PSD deputy Ana Birchall said that it is unacceptable how PNL deputies see fit to ignore the expectations of thousands of families of Romanians, boycotting the vote on the draft law concerning the conversion of CHF denominated loans.

Ana Birchall wrote in a press release: "From the very moment when we have submitted the draft law (ed. note: Birchall is the initiator of the draft law concerning the conversion of loans), in 2014, we have called upon all of our colleagues, regardless of the political affiliation, not to politicize the dramas of people who are having financial problems. I think that in times like these it was very important for liberals to leave aside their political pride and for all of us to pass this law who are unable to make their loan payments and who are living in fear of losing everything they've ever scraped together in life.

After liberals have accused me and the PSD, over the last few weeks of not wanting the conversion of loans at the historic exchange rate, even though that version has been agreed upon with the representatives of the CHF borrowers in the meetings and the talks that took place throughout that entire period, they are now showing their true colors, opting to politically boycott the vote on this draft law that is awaited by thousands of Romanians, to launder the image of a technocrat minister. After voting against my draft law in every parliamentary commission, by unjustifiably delaying the passing of this law, the PNL hasn't seen fit to place the people's interest above political disputes, not even at the last minute".

Liviu Dragnea, PSD president, also wrote on Facebook: "The draft concerning the CHF denominated loans was on today's (ed. note: yesterday), agenda of the Chamber of Deputies, among other matters. According to the parliamentary procedure, prior to the beginning of the meeting, there is a roll call. Liberals were absent from the very beginning, to prevent the motion against minister Prună from being debated. The presidency of the Chamber was forced to announce the lack of quorum, and thus the meeting was adjourned. Because of the liberals, not one of the items that were included on the agenda was debated. They saved Prună, knowing full well that boycotting one of the items on the agenda would include the other 29 items on the agenda as well".

Meanwhile, people who have borrowed Swiss francs are unable to make their loan payments after the exchange rate for that currency unexpectedly went through the roof about two years ago.

Judging by their posts on social media, most of them have lost their confidence in politicians and the hope that they will get saved through a law.