Romania's Constitutional Court to Review Challenge to SAFE Program Ordinance

Romania's Constitutional Court is set to re-examine a challenge concerning the government's SAFE Program, a decision with significant implications. The court will convene on June 18 to discuss a complaint filed by Sorin Grindean, the president of the Chamber of Deputies. Grindean accuses the current government of exceeding its constitutional powers by enacting an emergency ordinance for the SAFE Program after the executive had already lost a no-confidence vote.

Grindean's filing alleges a constitutional conflict between the Parliament and the Government. He contends that the executive branch substituted itself for the Parliament, the nation's sole legislative body. The complaint asserts that the government transformed from a delegated legislator into an authority competing with the legislature. It also highlights a breach of the principle of loyal cooperation among state institutions and an imbalance of power.

According to the complaint, the government's actions involved two distinct, yet converging, unconstitutional behaviors. First, the adoption and publication of the emergency ordinance occurred after Parliament withdrew confidence on May 5, 2026. Second, the ordinance was published on May 8, 2026, by a government that, under Article 110(4) of the Constitution, should only be handling current administrative affairs, not exercising delegated legislative powers. The ordinance also addressed legislative matters already under parliamentary debate or scheduled for discussion, further positioning the government as a rival to Parliament and disregarding its constitutional duty of loyalty.