The FINANCIAL -- Romania's
centre-right president Traian Basescu on Monday asked the Constitutional
Court to rule on whether he or his left-wing rival Prime Minister
Victor Ponta should attend EU summits.
"The presidency asked the court to rule about a conflict between the presidency and the prime minister", a court spokeswoman told AFP.
A hearing is scheduled on Wednesday, the day before the next European Union summit opens in Brussels.
Basescu's spokesman, Bogdan Oprea, refused to comment on the move.
Ponta said he is engaged in a "very powerful conflict" with Basescu.
The premier has been very determined to attend EU summits since his centre-left coalition took power at the beginning of May after the former centre-right government fell on a no-confidence vote.
According to EUbusiness, on June 12, parliament adopted a statement recommending that Ponta attend EU meetings on economic, social and fiscal issues while Basescu should go to those devoted to security and foreign affairs.
But Basescu immediately rejected parliament's move, telling a press conference "it violates the Constitution and has no legal value".
"I am telling Mr Basescu again I will go to Brussels to the EU summit", Ponta reaffirmed recently.
But according to local media, Basescu replied with a letter warning Ponta that he would be "taking over prerogatives reserved to the president" if he did so.
"There is no clarity in the Constitution about who should be representing Romania at EU summits", Ponta told the foreign media, underlining that countries such as Poland and Finland had also sparred over the issue in the past.
"The situation is unpleasant because it gives the impression to our European counterparts that we are not able to solve the internal fights between our institutions", euro-MP and former prime minister Theodor Stolojan said.
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