The Ministry of Youth and Sport announces that in 2019 the budget allocated increases by 95,19%, but the budget allocated to the youth (total budget, for the whole country) increases by the fabulous percentage of 4.05% (according to the state Undersecretary Cristina Andronic – The meeting between MTS and several youth organisations in 18.02.2019). The ministry, unprecedented in the last 3 years, has suddenly taken out, towards a simulation of consultation, a package of 10 (ten) proposals for normative acts-10 methodologies, instruments that will actually distribute this budget. In the past years, the ministry gradually launched these documents, so that there would be time for analysis, but also to organise not only consultations (references of written opinions), but also public debates (to which anyone could sign up to ask clarification questions and formulate recommendations). This year, however, something changed: MTS not only does not consider the youth of Romania a priority, but also lies and ignores them. By referring to irregularities and the lack of transparency that the public authority demonstrates, the Timiş Youth County Foundation (Fitt), the only youth centre in Romania (and one of only 13 such centres in Europe) accredited by the Council of Europe with The quality certificate for youth centres for the period 2016-2023, took the initiative at national level and summoned MTS to initiate a public debate. The law 52/2003 on decision-making transparency is very clear and states that if an organisation so requests, the authority is obliged to organise the public debate. At last week's meeting, the resistance of the Ministry's representatives to organise the debate was a fierce one. The Minister, the Secretary of State and the Cabinet director of the latter argued that by organising the debate we are wasting time – thus clarifying their opinion on democratic, participatory processes. It should also be emphasised that the state budget is not approved yet, so it is sufficient time to go through all the steps of the decision-making transparency process. After long insistence and after the Secretary of State Remus Munteanu acknowledged his professional level and the fact that he had never worked on the methodologies, the decision makers gave up and agreed to stop the discussions and organise the public debate to which he can Anyone participates. It is only that on 26 February 2019, on the eve of the International Day of NGOs and seven days after meeting with some organisations, in which they decided to accept the Fitt application and that they would organise the public debate, MTS responds. Outraged that organisations considered insufficient the days the authority allocated for analysing and formulating opinions for 10 (ten) methodologies, MTS gives an "example of professionalism" by allocating an entire week to formulate 20 Rows. The address is signed by Minister Constantin-Bogdan MATEI and communicates the institutional response. In a deeply discretionary manner, devoid of any legal basis (because they failed to indicate any article of law supporting anything in the authority's response) and full of logical and legal confusion, MTS chooses to only partially respond to the Fitt application. Thus, the ministry writes clearly and loudly that it actually rejects the demand! The reasons stated are hallucinating. Playing the role of a judge, MTS rejects the request BA as late, as inadmissible on grounds which defy any legal order but which, in particular, demonizes the importance of the decision-making Transparency Act and the importance of the views of young people. Thus, the Ministry ignores the fact that it is obliged to devote at least 30 days to the organisation of all the contexts of argumentation before any young man or organisation and their obedience to the acts which MTS wishes to adopt. Basically, it tells us that the acts whereby MTS decides what and how it does with public money, must neither be justified nor debated, that not everyone has to give their opinion on them! In the context where the government proudly flies the Romanian Presidency programme to the Council of the EU 2019, the Ministry of the resort violates exactly the paragraph that opens the chapter dedicated to youth: the Romanian Presidency at the Council of the European Union will seek contributes to increasing the quality of the dialogue between public and young authorities at all levels (local, regional, national and European), by promoting the active participation of young people in the actions of the European Union, including young people from Disadvantaged economic groups. It is so simple to promote abroad principles that we are violating in the interior! After that it allocates a shameful budget of small, MTS slams the door in the nose of young people and tells them that they should not care how 2-3 dignitaries decide to manage it. Unfortunately, what accentuates the seriousness of the situation is the lack of studies and/or experience of these dignitaries in the field of public policies for youth and youth projects.
Any public administration, whether local or central, must respect the principle of decision-making transparency, complemented by the provisions of Law No. 52/2003. Moreover, MTS does not recognise the contribution that youth organisations can bring to the development and monitoring of youth policies, which is quite disappointing, given that, unlike MTS, these organisations work directly with Young people and understand their duties by promoting some values lacking in their governors. –Antonia PUP, president of the Timiş County Council (Cje Timiş) when creating mechanisms for organizing and financing student projects, student culture houses, student camps and accreditation of private persons who can Organise such camps, a serious negotiation is needed with all the structures in which students are organised. And for these initiatives to go from Bucharest to the farthest University centre, to collect the students ' opinions and to get back to Bucharest, the MTS must allocate time and organise a serious and realistic dialogue context. -Ovidiu Boldor, president of the Students ' organization of West University Timisoara (OSUT) We ask the Ministry of Youth and Sport to abide by the laws, through open dialogue with young people (14-35 years) and youth organisations in Romania ( Regardless of the law under which it operates), from any corner of the country would be them. The current MTS dignitaries forget that young people and youth organisations are not subordinated, but partners in the youth business. This area will not evolve as long as the measures are not negotiated and agreed with the beneficiaries on which it creates impact. –Mihai-Adrian Vilcea, president of the Timiş County Youth Foundation (FITT)