USR's simple motion: EnviMin Tanczos Barna - the main to blame for illegal logging

Environment Minister Tanczos Barna is the main to blame for illegal forest logging, the environmental damage, the state's inability to take advantage of green economy opportunities and the "arrogant contempt" wherewith the civil society is being treated when it raises issues to public attention, reads the simple motion tabled by the Save Romania Union (USR) to the Chamber of Deputies, Agerpres reports.

The USR deputies advise the Environment Minister to quit "not just from government", but also from any other political position he still holds.

"This motion would not have been necessary had still Minister Tanczos had the common sense to step down on his own, after a Recorder report showed the Romanians what kind of a character has come to manage the forests of this country. Incompetence could be a valid excuse in his case. There have been other cases of incompetent ministers. However, the signatories of this motion believe that there is more at play than that. His incompetence is doubled by militant ill-will, cynicism and deliberate efforts to sabotage his own mandate. Mr. Minister respects neither the citizens of this country in whose government he sits, nor the legacy we must all leave to our descendants," the motion reads.

According to its signatories, the Environment Minister "respects only political fishy dealings he clumsily disguises as administrative decisions".

"The political henchman turned Environment Minister is the main to blame for the disappearance of our forests, for the environmental damage that could be easily stopped, for the state's inability to take advantage of the opportunities offered by the green economy and for the arrogant contempt wherewith the civil society is treated when it raises issues to public attention," the motion goes on.

"From time to time, Mr. Minister has public media appearances where he promises to take action. Meanwhile, landfills in Bucharest-Ilfov catch fire, waste is being burned in the fields, garbage litters hectares of vacant land, waste is being introduced into the country as second-hand items, and mayors do as they please with the waste," the motion further states.

The Lower House USR group tabled on Tuesday the simple motion against Environment Minister Tanczos Barna in the Parliament plenary sitting.

"The USR group tables the simple motion titled: 'Woe to environment. Minister Tanczos Barna must leave while we still have forests to defend'," said USR Chamber floor leader Ionut Mosteanu.