The opposition Social Democratic Party raised a claim that the law was restricting citizens’ fundamental rights.
Social democrat MP Olguta Vasilescu told a news conference late November the opposition would contest the bill’s legality. The opposition also claimed the vote on the bill had been rigged.
The Parliament managed to adopt the bill late November after months of stalling and tacit adoption in the Senate. Opposition lawmakers abstained from voting, saying the bill was a pretext for authorities to lower welfare spending in the 2012 state budget.
Romanian President Traian Basescu hailed the adoption of the bill, saying the 54 social assistance programs Romania has been running so far cost 19 billion lei (about EUR4.4 billion) a year and the new bill lowers the number of programs to nine and ensures a more efficient distribution of resources.