PNL, USR ask for the special section for investigating magistrates to be abolished

PNL chairman Ludovic Orban has retorted on the GRECO reports, asking the Government to assume its commitment and endorse the abolition of the Special Section for Investigating Magistrates.

“The international experts confirm one more time, within the same approach as the one of the Venice Commission and European Commission, the fact that the decisions taken by PSD and ALDE had only one goal: to compromise the fight against corruption, the independence of justice and the rule of law”, said the Liberal leader  in a press release.

Orban has asked the Superior Council of Magistracy (CSM) to abandon procedure to appoint the new chief of the Special Section, arguing that “the credibility of this institution is fully compromised and is lacking the recognition of the international experts”.

In her turn, the PNL vice-president Raluca Turcan has urged the Senate Speaker Calin Popescu Tariceanu (ALDE chairman) to summon an extraordinary session of the Parliament so that MPs could give the final vote on a draft law stipulating the abolition of the special section.

The opposition parties PNL-USR have filed such a bill.

“Now it is time that Calin Popescu Tariceanu is able to test his pro-European bow tie that he is displaying at receptions attended by European officials. I urge him to immediately summon an extraordinary session of the Senate to cast the final vote on this bill”, Turcan said in a Facebook post.

USR senator George Dirca has also reacted, asking for the special section to be disbanded, for its sole purpose is “just in the interest of PSD, not of the judiciary”.

The USR lawmaker argued that, by releasing the GRECO reports, the Justice Ministry is practically acknowledging the mandatory character of the GRECO recommendations, and it is compelled to enforce them “regardless of the pressure exerted by PSD”.

“Therefore, if Dancila Government has no intention to withdraw Romania from GRECO, then the abolition of the special section for investigating magistrates must be done as soon as possible, while the Justice minister Ana Birchall must provide guarantees in this regard and announce the time-frame of enforcing the recommendations contained in the reports”, Dirca said.