Credibility of employers’ associations in CES called into question

The Social and Economic Council (CES) is run by a representative of employers, Florin Costache, head of the National Romanian Employers’ Association (Patronatul National Roman), who is being accused by another employers’ association of having been imprisoned and involved with the political police, and therefore of causing a great disservice because of his past.
“The executive leaders of the Romanian Employers’ Association (Patronatul Roman) do not understand why institutions of the state are represented by people who cause great disservice with their past, who cannot be moral role models and do not meet democratic criteria. It is unacceptable for a citizen who has a criminal record, proven by the CNSAS (The National Council for the Study of the Securitate Archives) to have been an operative of the political police, to represent the interests of the Romanian Government, of the free unions of Romania and of the representatives of the Romanian employers’ associations,” says Gheorghe Naghiu, chairman of the Romanian Employers’ Association Confederation (Confederatia Patronatul Roman), who demanded Parliament to invalidate Costache’s position.
Florian Costache yesterday said he would sue anyone making accusations against him, although he avoided answering questions about his past.
The National Romanian Employers’ Association (Patronatul National Roman) was established in 1990 and its website only shows two companies, one involved in IT&C and another in trade.