Presidential Counselor Mihai Constantinescu brings offence to disabled people in the Senate meeting
Adevarul, 27 August - Liliana Ruse

Big mistake from Presidential Counselor Mihai Constantinescu. Being present yesterday at the Senate meeting, for the debates about the Constitutional reform, the counselor opposed the inclusion in the Fundamental Law of the principle of equal opportunities for disabled people.
Constantinescu presented / had an amazing argument: "If you imagine that a blind person can be equal to one that sees, a deaf-mute person with a person that speaks and a limp person with a valid person, you are mistaking". The counselor was not stopped by the murmur in the room or by the cry of Simonei Marinescu: "Stop this Senate speech!".
Constantinescu continued in the same way, claiming that these people (the disabled people n. ed.) should have "divine power in order to do the same things a valid person does".
The dispute started from Democratic Party senator Petre Roman's proposition, according to witch the Constitution should state expressly that "disabled people's equality of opportunities with the other citizens is guaranteed. The state must insure the implementation of a national policy for the equalization of opportunities and for the full social participation of disabled people".
The Constitutional Commission initially rejected Roman's proposition, also due to the considerations presented by Mihai Constantinescu. The jurists from the Constitutional Commission agued that, this way, "the equal and full participation of the people envisioned by this article, with the other citizens, is by definition impossible, which justifies the special norms for protection included in the Constitution".
The series of virulent reactions started with DAHR senator Frunda Gyorgy. "I want to express my disagreement and human revolt towards this discourse in Romania's Senate. To underline that a blind person s not equal with one that sees is unacceptable! The principle must be the equality of opportunities. To treat with superiority and superficiality the people with disabilities is a proof of arrogance and cynicism unacceptable in the Senate. I ask the counselor to immediately withdraw his statement". The Democrat Petre Roman declared he was stunned by Constantinescu's intervention and reminded that Beethoven composed one of the most important symphonies while being deaf. Simona Marinescu (PSD) also protested to the "completely non-european speech" the counselor held. "The fact that Mr. Constantinescu affirms bluntly that a blind person cannot be a teacher proves the capacity of our society to integrate those that are different from us".
The incident came to an end in the traditional style of Romania's Parliament. Constantinescu did not apologize, and Roman's amendment was not submitted for a vote. On the corridors, a few senators commented that, in the Occident, a similar affirmation would have cost Mihai Constantinescu his job and his political career.