PSD’s Dragnea about the amendments to the Criminal Code: I don’t want to leave this life and office like a fool!

PSD leader, Liviu Dragnea, has answered to the allegations about the way the ruling coalition and the national minorities voted the amendments to the Criminal Code.

“I don’t want to leave this life and office like a fool! I said it plainly, as in Teleorman County, I want to go on fighting to the end until, I hope, every Romanian in this country has confidence in the judiciary,” Dragnea said. “We want to have a better country. This is our objective in terms of fundamental freedoms and liberties. I believe God will help us!” he added.

He told the media: “You can write a PhD work, if you want” regarding the way the amendments to the Criminal Code will influence his file.

“You never talk about the fact that the President, at Cotroceni, in violating the Constitution, that he sent a counsellor to threaten a Constitutional Court judge, that he refuses to return hundreds of thousands (RON – our note) to the state. You never talk about the fact that denouncements have been obtained by threats, that forged evidence were introduced in the files and that innocent people are in jail. Those people are out of jail and have proved at the ECHR they are innocent,” Dragnea said.

He made comments on his file, saying that it was opened by the decision of Iohannis and a group of influential people. “They can open 1,000-2,000 filed tomorrow. (…) But it is unacceptable to have thousands of innocent people waiting for sentences,” he said.

The Chamber of Deputies plenary has adopted on Wednesday the draft bill amending the Criminal Code by 167 votes in favour, 97 against and 19 abstentions. The vote result was welcomed with applause from the PSD-ALDE majority. 165 votes were needed for the draft bill to pass.

President Klaus Iohannis reacted in a briefing at Cotroceni Palace, describing the vote as “revolting”. The adoption of amendments to the Criminal Code was imposed by PSD and ALDE, he said, arguing that “what is happening these days is called the dictatorship of the majority.”

The European Commission has sent a tough warning to the Romanian authorities on Wednesday evening following the vote on the Criminal Code in Parliament, stating it is watching the developments in Romania with growing concern and that it won’t hesitate to resort to actions where it will be necessary to ensure the compliance with the European treaties.