Oana Gheorghiu contradicts Carmen Uscatu, who said that the deputy prime minister did not withdraw from the management of “Give Life”: “I'm surprised. I hope it's a misunderstanding of the legal framework regarding incompatibilities”
Oana Gheorghiu, at the first Government meeting of his mandate. Photo: Government of Romania
Deputy Prime Minister Oana Gheorghiu says that the fact that she remained a founding member of the “Give Life” association does not make her incompatible with the position in the government. She thus responds to Carmen Uscatu, the co-founder of the NGO, who said in an interview for HotNews that, although he suspended himself from executive roles, Gheorghiu still retains the status of a member with the right to vote in the General Assembly of the NGO, and that is “a very big vulnerability”.
INTERVIEW Carmen Uscatu, co-founder of “Give Life”, says that Deputy Prime Minister Oana Gheorghiu did not withdraw from the NGO's General Assembly and believes that this is “an incompatibility”
In a point of view transmitted on Tuesday by HotNews, Oana Gheorghiu says that she “fully respects the legislation on the regime of incompatibilities applicable to members of the Government”.
“I suspended myself from the executive position and from the Board of Directors of the Association Gives Life before assuming the position of deputy prime minister, in full compliance with the provisions of Law no. 161/2003. I communicated this within the Association, before the information regarding my appointment became public, and I sent all the necessary documents to formalize the decision and to ensure the continuity of the projects I coordinated”, Oana Gheorghiu said.
She says everything she did was after consulting with lawyers, “just to make sure I was following the law and the principles of public integrity.”
“Currently, I remain only a founding member of the Association Dăruiește Viață, which, according to the organization's statute, implies membership in the General Assembly, not in the executive management structure. The responsibilities regarding the management of the current activity fall to the Board of Directors, of which I am no longer a member”, says Oana Gheorghiu.
“My status is 100% legal”
She says that although she is still a founding member of the association there is no incompatibility: “My status is 100% according to the law”:
“The Romanian legislation does not impose on the members of the Government the obligation to renounce the quality of founding members of a non-governmental organization, there are other people in the Government of Romania who are members of non-governmental organizations.
I founded this association 13 years ago and I remain proud of everything we have built together – an independent organization, supported by over 350,000 people and 8,000 companies, which has demonstrated that solidarity can change the healthcare system in Romania”.
“I am surprised by Carmen Uscatu's statements”
Oana Gheorghiu also says that there is “no interference” between her governmental duties and the activity of the Give Life Association “and, even more so, regarding my quality as a founding member, and any statement to the contrary is false and unfounded.”
“I am surprised by Carmen Uscatu's statements and I hope that it is about a misunderstanding of the legal framework regarding the regime of incompatibilities applicable to members of the Government, and not about an intention to generate pressure or confusion in the public space or an intention to remove me as a founding member of the Association. I remain open to a direct discussion, between us, as we have always done”, adds Oana Gheorghiu.
Carmen Uscatu: Sponsors ask us questions
“Sponsors ask us questions, some donors withdraw, others stay”, said Carmen Uscatu, co-founder of the “Dăruiește Viață” Association, about the effect of the appointment of Oana Gheorghiu as Deputy Prime Minister of Romania, in an interview for the HotNews audience.
“A very high vulnerability.” This is how Carmen Uscatu, co-president and co-founder of the “Give Life” Association, described the appointment of her colleague, Oana Gheorghiu, to a leadership position in the Government of Romania.
Oana Gheorghiu, co-founder of the “Dăruiiste Viață” Association, took the oath as deputy prime minister on October 30. Prime Minister Ilie Bolojan proposed the co-founder of “Dăruiește Viață” for the post of deputy prime minister left vacant after the resignation of Dragoș Anastasiu, and President Nicusor Dan signed the decree appointing her.
Carmen Uscatu and Oana Gheorghiu are the co-founders of “Dăruiește Viață”, an association that was created in 2012. From 2015, they started collecting donations for the construction of the first hospital built after the Revolution in Romania. The Spitatul was opened in April 2024, as a section of the Marie Curie Spitatul in Bucharest, made with the donations of over 350,000 individuals and over 8,000 companies, according to the association's website.
