Political reactions following President’s decision not to dismiss DNA chief prosecutor Kovesi: He will be responsible to the electorate

Former Justice Minister, PSD Senator, Robert Cazanciuc, said on Tuesday that President Klaus Iohannis will be responsible to the electorate for his decision announced on Monday, at Cotroceni Palace, not to dismiss Laura Codruta Kovesi, the National Anticorruption Directorate (DNA) chief prosecutor.

“The President will be responsible to the voters for his decision. It is a political decision. It is his responsibility, but the Justice Minister had arguments in his demarche. (…) Mr. Toader said he would challenge the decision to the Constitutional Court. We are entering the judicial field, and things are rather complicated,” Cazanciuc said in Parliament. He added that the issue of trying to impeach the president was never discussed.

Former defence Minister, Adrian Tutuianu, told digi24.ro that the President’s decision is no surprise for anyone.

“I wasn’t surprised and I believe no one was surprised. I do not believe the President had the right answers to the Justice Minister’s notification. Tudorel Toader said correctly, when announcing he would notify the Constitutional Court, that the President has no legal competence to assess the DNA chief prosecutor,” Tutuianu said.

Save Romania Union (USR) chairman, Dan Barna, commended the President’s decision, adding that any other alternative would have been serious.

“The arguments are very logical, natural and normal. We have anticipated the decision and we said it is a normal political decision for Romania. Any other alternative would have been a serious decision,” Barna said for digi24.ro.

PNL Senator Alina Gorghiu said the decision made by Klaus Iohannis is no surprise and believes the initiative of the Justice Minister to notify the Constitutional Court is to no avail.

“It’s no surprise, another decision would have been a surprise. I believe there’s no Romanian who hasn’t watched this battle to replace the DNA chief. I am glad the President has arguments. A sound analysis was followed by arguments, starting from the past of this institution and continuing with the CSM negative opinion. I am worried that Dragnea and Tariceanu continue with the notification of the Constitutional Court. The CCR decision will be to reject the notification. I want to appeal to all, to put an end to this crisis with a heavy political burden,” Gorghiu said.

MEP Cristian Preda has also commended the President’s decision. “By refusing the political-driven and anti-European game of PSD-ALDE, President Iohannis refuses to dismiss the DNA chief prosecutor, Kovesi. Very good!” Preda wrote on Facebook.

Former President, Traian Basescu, said the decision has political arguments and national interest arguments.

“Keeping Kovesi in office has arguments in terms of politics and national interest, is less related to Tudorel Toader’s report,” Basescu told B1 TV.

“Currently, the image in foreign chancelleries, French President Macron has confirmed it, by mentioning President Iohannis keeping the country in hand and not letting it to the corrupt… Mrs. Kovesi is the symbol of the fight against corruption. Correctly or incorrectly, this is the image,” Basescu said, adding that the Cooperation and Verification Mechanism (CVM) means other chancelleries are concerned about who is the chief of a judicial institution. “The CVM is a control system and a partnership about what is going on with the judicial system in Romania, national control and control from Brussels,” the former head of state said.

“If Iohannis had dismissed Kovesi, than the label on Romania would have been: the corrupt people have won, the President, together with them has dismissed the fighter against corruption,” Traian Basescu underscored.

He added that the head of state is in a win situation “internationally and, on the other hand, he has given satisfaction to the tough electorate, the ones with #Rezist.”