Former Presidents' Houses, Subject of Electoral Campaign

The houses where former presidents of Romania live are mentioned rhythmically in the public space, especially in electoral campaigns. There is a lot of talk about this case, but little is done. Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu declared in London that he does not understand why the Romanian state should own houses for former presidents and why it does not rent an apartment in a guarded neighborhood, announcing that if he is elected president, he will change these things, specifying that the state should not provide a house to a former president. Ciolacu also said that he is considering a change in the legislation, but after the vote of the Romanians. Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu also answered questions related to the PNL's request for the establishment of a commission for the Nordis case and the PSD's request for a commission to investigate President Klaus Iohannis' expenses: "They are two distinct things, we are talking about a commission, a commercial case, with criminal connotations, at Nordis. That is the truth. I do not know if any institution has an ongoing investigation, because I am not obliged to inform me and I do not want them to inform me, because there is a separation of powers in the state and we are talking about the expenses of a dignitary, regardless of who that dignitary is, where there are no criminal connotations. There are no civil lawsuits. My colleagues requested this commission to create a kind of T0 in Romanian politics". Ciolacu also added: "Maybe we should change a bit too. (..) Tell me too, why does the Romanian state have to own houses for former presidents? The Romanian state has the obligation to provide a former president with a living space. Why doesn't it rent an apartment in a guarded neighborhood? Why do we have to arrange certain state homes or buildings? Why are we not very clear, this is the prime minister's home, regardless of whether you have a home in Bucharest or not. This is a legislative obligation and I don't have to build you a house as you wish, the state rents a certain home. If I am elected president of Romania, I will change these things. Why don't you say how much your monthly expenses were? Why did you travel? Where did you travel?" The prime minister was asked if he was considering a change in the legislation, so that the president would no longer benefit from a home: "Yes, a change, so that there is no longer an obligation, when you make a home available to a former president, that it must necessarily be the property of the state. Why do I, the state, have to buy homes for each president? That I didn't understand. Do you think this still happens somewhere in the world?". Ion Iliescu, Emil Constantinescu, Traian Băsescu and Klaus Iohannis (from next month) are the former presidents brought up for discussion.