On Tuesday, the European Parliament has voted a resolution on the rule of law in Romania by 473 votes to 151 and 40 abstentions.
The European forum is thus urging the Parliament and Government of Romania to fully enforce all the European Commission’s recommendations, as well as the ones from GRECO and the Venice Commission and to refrain from any reform that would jeopardize the rule of law, including the independence of the judiciary.
Reactions were not late to appear in the public space.
PSD leader, Liviu Dragnea: The important issues for Romania are health, education, infrastructure, agriculture, economic development – more than any resolution or CVM
Social-democrat chair, Liviu Dragnea, said on Tuesday that the important issues for Romania are those related to health, education, infrastructure, agriculture, economic development, higher earnings for Romanians.
“As simple, but not humble, Romanian, I believe Romania’s important issues are others (…). I am talking about big issues for this country, more important than any resolution of CVM. I am talking about health, education, infrastructure, agriculture, economic development, higher earnings for Romanians, a predictable and favourable business environment, the reform of large systems. These are issues we have dealt with and we have institutionally asked about the President, through public constant appeals, to work together, but these appeals were in vain,” Dragnea said after the PSD sitting on Tuesday.
Justice Minister, Tudorel Toader: I can’t have any reaction, I haven’t read it
Justice Minister, Tudorel Toader, has refused on Tuesday to comment on the resolution adopted by the European parliament regarding the rule of law, arguing he hasn’t read it.
“After I read the resolution, I could express a point of view. Don’t ask me to have an opinion without reading it. The Justice Minister does not speak out of the way, in Romania there are lots of people who believe they know everything, without reading the issues. The Justice Minister does not speak out of the way, the Justice Minister does not do like others to speak before reading,” Tudorel Toader said.
Defence Minister, Mihai Fifor: Meeting the recommendations means ignoring the Constitution
Defence Minister, Mihai Fifor, said on Tuesday that it is unacceptable to introduce conditionality for Romania, on the pretext of the affected laws of justice, given that the CVM has failed to meet the objective for which it was set up. He added that observing the recommendations means ignoring the Constitution.
“We’ve been are we are open to close cooperation with the EU institutions and I believe all Member States should benefit from equal treatment. It is hard to understand and unacceptable to introduce conditionality for Romania, under the pretext of the affected laws of justice, given that the CVM has failed to meet the objective for which it was set up. The interference with justice of the protocols, the intrusion in private life, falsifying evidence, pressure of the investigation organisms over witnesses, these are realities of the way in which the functioning of justice was understood, all of them have been ignored by the CVM reports in the previous years,” Fifor wrote on Facebook.
He claims Romania has presented sound arguments for the legal amendments in the justice field, in turn received recommendations “to ignore the Constitution” and a resolution from the European Parliament “suggesting a blind justice to abuses.”
“I cannot accept this political game for Romania and its citizens. Romania is a European state and has to benefit from the same rights as all the EU Member States,” Mihai Fifor argues.
MEP Siegfried Mureşan: The resolution is a good thing for Romania
“I have voted today for the resolution regarding the rule of law in Romania. The resolution is a good thing for Romania, is good for the Romanian people. The resolution defends the honest people against politicians who want to weaken the judiciary, to stop the fight against corruption. These politicians want weak institutions in their hand. Liviu Dragnea, Viorica Dancila, Justice Minister Tudorel Toader – all of them have failed,” MEP Siegfried Muresan said after the EP resolution was voted.
He added: “The message is as follows: The European Parliament stands beside the Romanians in their fight for good governance, for justice, for European values.” Muresan also argues PSD-ALDE have failed to convince Europe that 500,000 people in protest were all wrong.
MEP Monica Macovei: In Romania, we kill democracy by murdering the press
MEP Monica Macovei said on Tuesday “in Romania, we kill democracy by murdering the press,” hinting at the request coming from the National Supervisory Authority for Personal Data Processing (ANSPDCP) that the Rise Project journalists reveal the sources and information in the #TeleormanLeaks investigation.
“In Romania, we kill democracy by murdering the press. The Rise Project investigation journalists are on a case of defrauding European funds by top politicians, including Liviu Dragnea, the chair of the ruling Social-Democratic Party,” Monica Macovei said.