AUR proposes limiting the terms of office for the heads of the main intelligence services

The Alliance for the Union of Romanians has submitted to Parliament a legislative bill proposing limits on the duration and number of terms for the heads of several essential public institutions. The initiative provides for five-year terms and a maximum of two terms for the same person at the helm of the country’s main intelligence and security structures.

The bill targets the directors of the Romanian Intelligence Service, the Foreign Intelligence Service, the Protection and Guard Service, the General Directorate for Internal Protection, the General Directorate for Defence Intelligence and the Special Telecommunications Service.

According to AUR, the measure aims to reduce the risk of excessive concentration of power, prevent the formation of circles of influence, and increase the independence, transparency and public trust in state institutions. The party argues that term limits are necessary for structures that manage sensitive information and have important responsibilities for national security.

AUR Senator Nicolae Vlahu, one of the bill’s initiators, says that two terms provide sufficient time to implement a vision and achieve results, after which the leadership should be taken over by other professionals. The initiative also provides that partially served terms should be considered full terms, so that the legal limit cannot be circumvented by interrupting a term. The bill is to be reviewed by Parliament.