Reactions to the European Commission’s statement on the justice laws
The Speakers of the two Chambers of the Romanian Parliament dismiss the European Commissions criticism of the justice laws
Roxana Vasile, 25.01.2018, 13:41
Armed with flags, drums and whistles, and carrying signs reading “All for justice!” and “We will not be a nation of thieves!” several hundreds of people protested on Wednesday night in front of the Government headquarters in Bucharest. Their goal was to once again plead for an independent judiciary, free from political interference and for the discharge of top-level politicians subject to judicial proceedings.
The protest overlapped the release in Brussels, on the same day, of a joint statement by the President of the European Commission, Jean-Claude Juncker, and the First Vice-President, Frans Timmermans, calling on the Parliament of Romania to revise the judicial reforms planned by the ruling coalition. “The independence of Romania’s judicial system and its capacity to fight corruption effectively are essential cornerstones of a strong Romania in the European Union,” Juncker and Timmermans said.
The EU officials warn that a major prerequisite for removing the Cooperation and Verification Mechanism, in place since Romania’s EU accession in 2007, is for the progress made so far to be irreversible. Consequently, the Commission will analyse thoroughly the changes to the judicial system, the criminal justice laws and the laws on conflict of interests, so as to assess their impact on the efforts to guarantee the independence of the judiciary and the fight against corruption.
Bucharest responded quickly, with the Speakers of the two Chambers of Parliament dismissing the Commission’s criticism. In an open letter, the Speaker of the Chamber of Deputies, Liviu Dragnea, (head of the Social Democratic Party) and the Speaker of the Senate, Calin Popescu Tariceanu, (president of the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats in Romania) claim the European officials were misinformed on the reform of the justice laws in Romania. They argue that the bills were drawn up and discussed in compliance with constitutional requirements and the Venice Commission standards. Moreover, in their view, this reform of the justice system is aimed precisely at bringing the judiciary in line with Brussels’ recommendations.
On the other hand, the right-of-centre Opposition in Romania believes the country must pay due attention to the warning coming from the European Commission. The National Liberal Party warns that Bucharest risks economic as well as political sanctions from the Union. In turn, the People’s Movement Party notes that Brussels’ notice comes at an important moment for Romania, when a new Government is preparing to take over, while Save Romania Union says the message from the EU only confirms what part of the Romanian society has been telling the ruling coalition for more than a year now.(Translated by Ana Maria Popescu, edited by D. Vijeu)
