Justice and the Romanian MPs

Romanian MPs are resigning in droves after anti-corruption prosecutors have started investigation in a series of corruption cases.

Valentin Țigău, 02.04.2015, 14:22

A phenomenon acknowledged and rejected by 96% of the Romanians, as opinion polls show, corruption is considered endemic in Romania. It pervades numerous sectors of the social and political life, casting a shadow on the progress of society by and large. Elected in November last year as president of Romania, Klaus Iohannis was eager to declare himself an anti-corruption campaigner, pledging to uproot this scourge.

Within a couple of months tens of corruption files have been filed by the National Anti-corruption Directorate involving high-ranking politicians from either the left and the right of the political spectrum, such as Elena Udrea, Marian Vanghelie and Darius Valcov who are now in custody. The pressure recently exerted on corrupt political figures has prompted some MPs currently under investigation to step down.

Two of the latest resignations are those of the Conservative Ion Dinita and the Liberal Danut Culetu. The Chamber of Deputies has green-lighted the apprehension of Dinita who is facing charges of bribe taking and abuse of office. Danut Culetu has been sent to court for abuse of office during his mandate of prefect of Constanta county.

In another development the Chamber of Deputies had to put on hold the National Anti-Corruption Directorate’s request for the preventive arrest of Marko Attila who forwarded his resignation by e-mail running against the Chamber’s regulations. Attila is facing charges of abuse of office but left for Budapest in December, before another request for his arrest by the anti-corruption prosecutors had been endorsed by the Chamber of Deputies.

Also on Wednesday, senators lifted the immunity of former Finance Minister Darius Valcov for the second time. He is facing charges in several corruption cases. Another senator, Dan Sova has managed to keep his immunity, following a controversial vote by his colleagues. Another Senate decision has been challenged at the Constitutional Court, which is to give its verdict on April 8th.

All the latest anti-corruption moves have shrunk the Legislature, sifting the number of MPs in the two Parliament Chambers. The recent events are indicative of the fact that the transformation of the political class and outlooks, although a long and laborious process, has begun. As Romanian president Klaus Iohannis put it, resistance to changes is the first sign that transformation has begun.