The Presidential Administration has announced that presidential adviser Simina Tănăsescu had resigned on Wednesday, amid controversies stirred by a meeting she had with constitutional judge Petre Lăzăroiu. The ruling coalition and its supporters in the judiciary system rushed to slam the encounter as a sign of pressure that the Presidency is putting on the Constitutional Court ahead president Iohannis’ decision on recalling the chief prosecutor of the National Anti-corruption Directorate, Laura Codruta Kovesi. In retort, the aide and the Presidency said the meeting had just intended to inform judge Petre Lăzăroiu that a complaint had been filed by an NGO against him to the Presidency office, which argued that Lăzăroiu’s mandate at CCR had expired.
„Speculations have emerged in the public space in the past days regarding some alleged pressures exerted on a constitutional judge, following a discussion Mrs. Elena-Simina Tănăsescu had with Mr. Petre Lăzăroiu. The Presidential Administration reiterates there has been no kind of pressures and the accusations in this regard are completely false.
Considering that it is inadmissible that any suspicion could soar in the public opinion that an interference attempt could have been possible over the Constitutional Court’s activity, and in order to not prejudice the institution of the Romanian President, Mrs. Elena-Simina Tănăsescu has filed her resignation from the position of presidential adviser today, June 20,” reads a press release by the Presidential Administration.
The Constitutional Court has decided on Tuesday to notify the Venice Commission, for the second time in one month, following the topic of the alleged pressured on judge Petre Lazaroiu.
Also in Tuesday, referring to the alleged pressures that his presidential aide Simina Tanasescu would have made on the constitutional judge Petre Lazaroiu, President Iohannis said there is no pressure in this regard.
„There is no pressure and I am not pressuring any judge. It would be fundamentally wrong. There is no pressure in what Mrs. Tanasescu discussed. She told me there is a complaint filed by an NGO. The entire matter has been distorted for political reasons. I have no idea why Mr. Lazaroiu has entered this game. You’d better ask him,” Iohannis stated after he met the EU ambassadors in Bucharest, at the HQ of Bulgaria’s Embassy in Bucharest.