Traian Băsescu proposes the reintroduction of mandatory military training

This week is under the sign of former presidents, who after long silences come out in public with broad statements. After Ion Iliescu, Traian Băsescu came out on the ramp. The former president of Romania, Traian Băsescu, believes that there is only one solution to create a sufficient number of soldiers, namely the reintroduction of mandatory military training. Traian Băsescu was asked, in a TV show, what he thinks about the fact that after two years of war on the border, Romania has no reservists and does not produce NATO ammunition, and the answer was not long in coming: "We are left with only one solution to create a sufficient number of soldiers, the reintroduction of compulsory military service. 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 military alliance in history, by 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". He added that, in the event of an invasion, you need to resist for 45-60 days until NATO aid arrives: "In the event of an invasion, what does 2,000 marines in Kogălniceanu and 1,000 foreign soldiers in Cincu under French command mean? ? It means nothing at all. You need to have an army that allows you to hold out for 45 - 60 days until NATO mobilizes its war resources to help you. Of course, at the summit in Wales in 2014, the formation of these rapid forces was established, but no rapid force comes to Romania's territory earlier than ten days and it comes in small sizes and not to the sizes to be able to face an attack massive, for example, from the Russian Federation". Băsescu specified that the president can no longer block the budget on the grounds that the Government did not allocate enough resources to the Army due to a decision of the Constitutional Court: "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 will be 50 years from now when the CSAT archives will be opened. Treason meant cutting military spending. And the Constitutional Court also came and did one thing. The president had leverage. The budget had to receive the opinion of the CSAT, in the areas of the force institutions, i.e. the Army, the Ministry of the Interior, the intelligence services. During Mr. Ponta's time, the Constitutional Court established that the CSAT opinion is optional and not mandatory, 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 Constitutional Court was transferred to the government. So the president, although he is responsible for security, is the first responsible, he no longer has the leverage to tell the government, I'm sorry, Romania needs ammunition, artillery, because we don't have, we don't produce NATO ammunition. The president can no longer block the budget now on the grounds that the government has not allocated enough resources to the Army".

On the same level, Băsescu states that the Ukrainians are heroes, who prevent Russia from reaching the mouths of the Danube, but he appreciates that Russia must be seen as a force that dominates the Black Sea: "Putin can occupy Transnistria overnight. He landed an infantry brigade in Transmistria and occupied it. The maximum width in Transnistria is 27 kilometers. But Putin cannot hold Transnistria for even 3 days, because Ukraine will not tolerate a massive military presence in Transnistria and, as it happened with Snake Island, it would happen with Transnistria. (...) There is no way, because Ukraine will destroy everything there is to destroy. Access can only come from the Black Sea, by air. There's no way, there's no way. He did not conquer Odessa, he cannot have Transnistria. He can occupy it, but he can't keep it", the former president also referred to the situation in the Black Sea: "I saw an optimist who says "Russia has lost control of the Black Sea". He is one who has no idea (...) Russia has submarines in the Black Sea. Don't be fooled by the force you see on the surface of the water. It has submarines. Nobody knows how many, nobody knows what military capabilities they have, so Russia must be seen as a force that dominates the Black Sea, until NATO, in particular, together with Turkey, Greece, Romania, Bulgaria will have enough force in the Black Sea to dominate the transport lines".

On the other hand, Traian Băsescu, current MEP, announced that he will no longer run for a new mandate, this being the end of the line for his political career. Traian Băsescu announced that he is no longer running for the European Parliament elections and stated: "Definitely not. It's top of the line, yes." Băsescu announced that he has established a foundation: "I have created a foundation, I have already registered it and I will try, for example, I have many invitations from high schools and I took high school students to Brussels as part of that program. I didn't take party people, I took high school classes and took them to Brussels to see the Parliament. Right now I have 60 children in the coming weeks, whom I bring both from private schools and from state schools". Traian Băsescu was president of Romania, between 2004 and 2014.