Radio România Internațional

Tag: EPPO

  • October 17, 2019 UPDATE

    October 17, 2019 UPDATE

    GOVERNMENT – The prime
    minister designate Ludovic Orban continues talks with the parliamentary parties
    that backed the no-confidence vote against the Social Democrat government in
    order to secure enough votes for a new cabinet, namely 233 out of a total of
    465. Consultations were held on Thursday with the Alliance of Liberals and
    Democrats, the Democratic Union of Ethnic Hungarians in Romania and Pro Romania
    Party and on Friday Orban will meet with Save Romania Union. The MPs
    representing the group of ethnic minorities have already said they will support
    a possible Orban cabinet. Talks were held on Wednesday with the People’s
    Movement party, which Orban described as encouraging, saying the possibility
    was also discussed for this party to be in the government. Ludovic Orban must
    present the structure of his cabinet and the proposals for ministers by next
    week. The Social Democrats have said they will not be in Parliament to ensure
    quorum when the voting on the new government takes place.




    EUROPEAN COUNCIL
    – The president of the European Commission Jean-Claude Juncker on Thursday said
    that a new deal on the UK’s exit from the European Union was reached after
    intense talks. The announcement was made a few hours before the start of the
    European Council summit in Brussels. Attending the meeting, President Klaus
    Iohannis said nothing will change regarding the Romanians living in the UK,
    expressing hope the European Council will adopt the document. The President met
    with President Elect Ursula von der Leyen, discussing the appointment of a new
    Romanian Commissioner. Previously Iohannis was adamant about nominating a
    proposal of the outgoing Dancila Cabinet. We recall the European Parliament has
    postponed a vote on the validation of the future European Commission scheduled
    for October 23, considering that the candidates of Romania, Hungary and France
    did not get through the validation process. Rovana Plumb and Laszlo Trocsanyi,
    the proposals of Romania and Hungary, were ruled out over suspicion linked to
    possible conflicts of interest, while France’s Sylvie Goulard’s candidacy was
    rejected on ethical grounds. Apart from Brexit, the summit also looks at the
    relationship with Turkey following the latest developments in Syria and the
    European Union’s multiannual budget. EU leaders also discussed ways to combat
    climate change, which is a priority for the next European Commission, and EU
    enlargement.




    EPPO – European
    Commissioner for Justice, Consumers and Gender Equality, Vera Jourova, on
    Thursday hailed the confirmation of the former chief of the National
    Anti-corruption Directorate in Romania Laura Codruţa Kövesi at the helm of the
    European Public Prosecutor’s Office, expressing hope Kovesi will do a great job
    at protecting the EU’s financial interests. Jourova went on to say that the EU
    is losing at least 50 billion euros in VAT-related fraud every year, which is
    something the EPPO will investigate. Kovesi was confirmed as European chief
    prosecutor by the Conference of Presidents in the European Parliament formed by
    the leaders of the different parliamentary groups and the speaker of the
    European Parliament. This was the last official step in the appointment
    procedure, with the European Parliament saying in a statement that Kövesi can
    now start her 7-year mandate as head of the European Public Prosecutor’s
    Office. This is an independent body responsible for investigating and indicting
    crimes against the European Union’s financial interests. Laura Codruţa Kövesi
    is the first person to occupy this position, which she has secured despite the
    opposition of Romania’s acting Social Democrat government.




    NATO – Mircea Geoana
    on Thursday started his mandate as Deputy Secretary General of NATO, the
    highest position ever held by a Romanian in NATO. Geoana was appointed earlier
    this year by Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg. The Romanian will replace Rose
    Gottemoeller of the United States, herself the first woman to occupy such a
    high rank in NATO. Mircea Geoana is the founder and president of the Aspen Romania
    Institute. He was previously Senate Speaker, Foreign Minister and US Ambassador
    in the US.




    EXERCISE – A three-day
    exercise carried out in the Serpents Island area and the Black Sea
    international waters came to an end on Thursday. Romania has taken part with
    the navy corvette Counter admiral Horia Macellariu, alongside Ukraine’s missile
    boat Pryluky and the US destroyer USS Porter. According to the General Staff of
    the Romanian Navy, the exercise helps consolidate the partnership between
    Ukraine and the NATO member states in the area of naval forces. Its aim is to
    achieve the interoperability of the different crews at tactical level at NATO
    standards with respect to the fight against security threats.




    TENNIS – Romanian
    tennis player Marius Copil, 92 ATP, on Thursday advanced to the quarterfinals
    of the ATP tournament in Antwerp, Belgium, totaling over 635 thousand dollars
    in prize money. Copil ousted Diego Schwartzman of Argentina, 6-4, 5-7, 7-6, the
    competition’s third-seed and no. 15 ATP. Schwartzman had previously won a
    single time against Copil, this year at Acapulco. In the next round Copil will play
    the winner of the match pitting Pablo Cuevas of Uruguay (45 ATP) against Andy
    Murray of Britain (243 ATP)

    (translated by V. Palcu)

  • Laura Codruţa Kovesi, primul procuror-şef european

    Laura Codruţa Kovesi, primul procuror-şef european

    Conferinţa Preşedinţilor a Parlamentului European, din care fac
    parte liderii grupurilor politice, a făcut, miercuri, ultimul pas spre numirea româncei
    Laura Codruţa Kovesi drept cel dintâi şef al Parchetului european. Luni, şi
    Consiliul Uniunii Europene validase instalarea doamnei Kovesi la Biroul Procurorului
    Public European (EPPO). Idee lansată şi promovată consecvent de o altă româncă,
    fostul ministru şi eurodeputat Monica Macovei, EPPO urmează să fie operaţional
    la sfârşitul anului 2020 şi va fi o instituţie independentă, însărcinată cu investigarea,
    urmărirea penală şi aducerea în faţa justiţiei a infracţiunilor împotriva
    bugetului Uniunii, precum frauda,
    corupţia sau frauda transfrontalieră cu TVA de peste 10 milioane de euro. Lista
    infracţiunilor se va putea extinde în viitor, pentru a include, de exemplu,
    faptele de terorism.


    Până în prezent, 22 de state membre s-au alăturat
    Parchetului Public European. Cele cinci state care nu participă încă – Suedia,
    Ungaria, Polonia, Irlanda şi Danemarca – se vor putea alătura în orice moment.
    EPPO va avea sediul central în Luxemburg şi va fi compus dintr-un procuror-şef
    şi un colegiu de procurori din toate ţările participante. Aceştia vor coordona
    investigaţiile curente desfăşurate de către procurorii delegaţi în fiecare stat
    participant.     Laura Codruţa Kovesi va avea un mandat de şapte ani, care va
    consta în special în construirea structurii operaţionale şi administrative a
    EPPO şi în stabilirea de bune relaţii de lucru cu autorităţile judiciare
    naţionale.


    Vârf de lance al luptei anticorupţie pentru unii, şefă a unui sistem
    poliţienesc abuziv în ochii altora, d-na Kovesi a fost frecvent calificată
    drept cea mai puternică femeie din România. Doar în ultimii cinci ani sub şefia
    ei, DNA a trimis în judecată 14 miniştri şi foşti miniştri şi 53 de
    parlamentari. 27 dintre aceştia au fost, deja, condamnaţi definitiv. În aceeaşi
    perioadă, Direcţia a dispus măsuri asiguratorii de peste 2,3 miliarde dolari.


    Cu
    puţin timp înainte de a fi demisă, în iunie 2018, de preşedintele Klaus
    Iohannis, în urma unei decizii ultimative a Curţii Constituţionale, ea
    recunoştea, însă, la New York, la o dezbatere organizată la sediul ONU, că
    provocarea cea mai mare pentru România a fost păstrarea independenţei
    judecătorilor şi procurorilor. Au existat încercări repetate de a modifica
    legislaţia anticorupţie pentru a limita instrumentele legislative folosite de
    procurorii anticorupţie sau dezincriminarea unor fapte. Au fost situaţii în
    care s-a refuzat ridicarea imunităţii politicienilor acuzaţi de infracţiuni de
    corupţie     – a rezumat şefa DNA istoria ultimilor ani, în care guvernanţii de
    stânga au fost acuzaţi că încearcă să stopeze lupta anticorupţie şi să-şi
    subordoneze magistraţii.


    Potrivit doamnei Kovesi, numirea sa e şi victoria compatrioţilor
    care, prin implicare civică şi proteste de stradă, i-au fost permanent alături
    şi i-au urmat îndemnul din ziua demiterii sale de la DNA: corupţia poate fi
    învinsă, nu abandonaţi!

  • Fighting fraud in EU spending

    Fighting fraud in EU spending

    Romania reported the largest number of frauds involving European funds of the member countries in 2014-2018, reads a report issued by the European Commissions Anti-Fraud Office, OLAF. More precisely, 477 frauds were reported in the past 5 years, accounting for nearly one-third of the total number of frauds investigated at EU level. Romania is followed by Poland, Hungary and Italy. At the opposite pole, countries like Belgium, Luxembourg and Malta reported one fraud each during the same period.



    Romania also ranks among the first in terms of the total amount of misappropriated funds. According to OLAF, Romania comes second, with frauds amounting to over 62 million euros, as against payments of around 14 billion euros made by the EU to Romania during these 5 years. First ranks Poland, with frauds amounting to some 110 million euros, followed by France, Bulgaria, Italy and Hungary.



    As for last year, Romania once again reported the largest number of frauds involving EU funds, i.e. 114. The amount was over 18 million euros, again one-third of the amount embezzled at EU level. Whereas in Poland, the country with the highest fraud amount, the number of misdeeds dropped considerably, in Romania the number of offences rose from one year to the next, OLAF emphasised.



    In fact, the European authorities announce that on the whole the number of frauds against the EU budget has dropped, but it has concentrated and increased in a small number of states. Thus, irregularities identified in 7 member countries (Italy, Romania, Portugal, Spain, Bulgaria, France and Lithuania) exceed 70% of the total number of offences reported last year at EU level. Also, the OLAF report emphasises that in 2018 the offences identified in only 2 countries, Romania and Italy, accounted for 61% of the total number of frauds EU-wide. The incidents were reported mostly in the field of agriculture and rural development funding.



    EU budget frauds are expected to decrease in the coming years, given that the European Public Prosecutors Office is scheduled to become operational at the end of 2020. The institution will be in charge with investigating, prosecuting and bringing to justice crimes against the EU budget, such as fraud, corruption offences or cross-border VAT frauds in excess of 10 million euros. The EPPO will be headed by the Romanian Laura Codruta Kovesi, endorsed last month by both the European Parliament and the EU Council. So far 22 member states joined the EPPO network, including Romania.


    (translated by: Ana-Maria Popescu)

  • September 23-27

    September 23-27

    President Iohannis attends the UN General Assembly


    Romania will do more to achieve the
    objectives pertaining to the UN’s 2030 sustainable development agenda,
    President Klaus Iohannis told the UN General Assembly meeting held in New York.
    High on the agenda are eradicating poverty, clean energy for affordable prices
    and swift measures to combat climate change. The President recalled that
    Romania too had to deal with the adverse effects of climate change and has
    initiated programs to curb greenhouse gas emissions. President Iohannis also
    condemned terrorist attacks and reiterated Bucharest’s firm commitment to
    combating global terrorism. He recalled that two Romanian military have been
    recently killed in Kabul in attacks orchestrated by the Taliban. On the
    sidelines of the UN General Assembly, President Iohannis had bilateral talks
    with his Ukrainian and Moldovan counterparts, Volodimir Zelenski and Igor
    Dodon, respectively, whom he assured of Romania’s support for the two
    countries’ European accession efforts.



    Prime Minister Dancila on a visit to the US


    Also in the United States Prime
    Minister Viorica Dancila met with US Energy Secretary Rick Perry, on which
    occasion Romania and the United States signed a memorandum of understanding
    concerning strategic civil nuclear cooperation (NCMOU). According to a
    Government release, the Romanian official expressed her Government’s commitment
    towards the development of economic cooperation under the Strategic Partnership
    between the two states, grounded on a pragmatic and mutually advantageous
    cooperation. Viorica Dancila also met with the Secretary General of the
    Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, Angel Gurria, expressing
    Romania’s firm commitment and readiness to start OECD accession negotiations.



    Laura Codruta Kovesi appointed at the helm of the EPPO


    Romanian Laura Codruta Kovesi will
    become the first European chief prosecutor, after the European Parliament and
    the Council of the European Union reached a final agreement in this matter. The
    former head of the National Anticorruption Directorate in Romania, Laura
    Codruta Kovesi is extremely competent, with an impressive record of
    achievements in fighting corruption, the Budget Control Committee Chair Monika
    Hohlmeier said. The agreement over the appointment of Kovesi as European chief
    prosecutor must now be made official by the European Parliament and the Council
    of the European Union. The European Public Prosecutor’s Office is set to start
    its activity next year, and will be able to investigate, prosecute and bring to
    court any offences against the EU budget, such as tax evasion, corruption and
    major cross-border VAT fraud.



    Uncertainties over Romania’s
    candidate for the position of European Commissioner


    Romanian Social-Democrat MEP Rovana
    Plumb’s candidacy for the position of European Commissioner for Transport was
    rejected on Thursday by the European Parliament’s Judicial Committee, with 15
    votes against, 6 in favor and two abstentions. According to procedures, without
    the Committee’s go-ahead, Plumb’s hearing in the Transport Committee was
    cancelled. Plumb was called to appear before the judicial committee to answer
    the questions raised over her wealth declaration.



    Energy interconnection


    Three agreements on the
    implementation of the project aimed at interconnecting the energy grids of
    Moldova and Romania were signed on Thursday in Chisinau. According to the
    agreements, Chisinau is due to access a 60-million-euro loan from the European
    Bank for Reconstruction and Development, with another 40 million euros due to be
    disbursed by the European Union. The funds will be used to modernize the energy
    sector, especially for building a station that will interconnect Moldova and
    Romania’s energy grids. Moldova’s Western Partners have pointed out that the
    project will help consolidate energy security and reduce Moldova’s dependency
    on Russian gas imports.


    Presidential election candidates


    Meanwhile, in Bucharest, the
    Central Election Bureau has finished the registration of candidates for the
    November 10 presidential election. All parliamentary parties have submitted a
    candidate, and pundits expect a second ballot will most likely be held on
    November 24. The top candidates are acting President Klaus Iohannis,
    Social-Democrat Prime Minister Viorica Dancila, Dan Barna representing the Save
    Romania Union – Plus Alliance, Theodor Paleologu, the candidate of the People’s
    Movement Party, Mircea Diaconu, who has rallied the support of the Alliance of
    Liberals and Democrats, and Kelemen Hunor from the Democratic Union of Ethnic
    Hungarians. The other candidates are either independent or supported by small
    non-parliamentary parties, which have so far kept a low key on the Romanian
    political stage.


    (Translated by V. Palcu)

  • Eine Rumänin wird Europäischen Generalstaatsanwältin

    Eine Rumänin wird Europäischen Generalstaatsanwältin

    Laura Codruta Kovesi wird die erste Leiterin der Europäischen Staatsanwaltschaft (EPPO). Das Europäische Parlament hat am Dienstag mit dem Rat der Europäischen Union eine endgültige Einigung über die Ernennung von Kovesi erzielt. Die Verhandlungen begannen im Frühjahr dieses Jahres, wobei das Parlament die Kandidatur Kovesis während des gesamten Verfahrens unterstützte, obwohl einige EU-Minister zunächst Widerstand leisteten. Frau Kövesi ist die perfekte Wahl, um EU-Generalstaatsanwältin zu werden. Sie verfügt über ausgezeichnete fachliche Kompetenzen. Darüber hinaus nimmt Rumänien derzeit keine Schlüsselpositionen in der EU ein. Frau Kövesi wird eine der führenden Frauen der EU sein“, sagte der spanische Abgeordnete Fernando Lopez Aguilar, der Vorsitzende des Ausschusses für Grundfreiheiten des Europäischen Parlaments.



    Wir freuen uns sehr, dass Frau Laura Codruta Kövesi die neue Europäische Staatsanwaltschaft leiten wird. Sie entspricht am besten dem Bild des Europäischen Parlaments von einer starken und glaubwürdigen Europäischen Staatsanwaltschaft. Frau Kövesi ist äu‎ßerst kompetent und kann auf eine beeindruckende Erfolgsbilanz bei der Korruptionsbekämpfung zurückblicken, hat bemerkenswerte Widerstandsfähigkeit und gro‎ßen Mut bewiesen“, sagte die Vorsitzende des Haushaltskontrollausschusses, Monika Hohlmeier.



    Letzte Woche stimmte der Ausschuss der Ständigen Vertreter in der Europäischen Union für die Ernennung von Kovesi zum Europäischen Generalstaatsanwalt. Damals führte die ehemalige Leiterin der Obersten Rumänischen Korruptionsbekämpfungesbehörde, das Ergebnis der Abstimmung auf das rumänische Justizsystem und die Menschen, die sich für die Korruptionsbekämpfung einsetzen zurück. Laura Codruta Kovesi:


    Ich glaube, wir sollten diese Abstimmung als eine Errungenschaft aller Rumänen verstehen, die in den letzten Jahren den Kampf gegen die Korruption unterstützt sowie die Rechtsstaatlichkeit und die europäischen Werte verteidigt haben“.



    Die Einigung über die Ernennung Kovesis zur Europäischen Generalstaatsanwältin muss nun vom Europäischen Parlament und vom Rat der Europäischen Union offiziell bestätigt werden. Brüssel sagt, die Europäischen Staatsanwaltschaft wird in der Lage sein, alle Straftaten gegen den EU-Haushalt wie Steuerhinterziehung, Korruption und grö‎ßeren grenzüberschreitenden Mehrwertsteuerbetrug zu untersuchen, zu verfolgen und vor Gericht zu bringen. Die Agentur, die ihre Tätigkeit im nächsten Jahr aufnehmen soll, soll die Mängel der EU bei der Verbrechensbekämpfung ausgleichen. Die Europäische Behörde für Betrugsbekämpfung (OLAF) ist gegenwärtig die einzige unabhängige Behörde, das den Betrug mit europäischen Fonds ahndet. Es kann aber keine Fälle verfolgen, sondern nur Empfehlungen an die nationalen Behörden richten. 22 Staaten haben sich der Europäischen Staatsanwaltschaft angeschlossen, darunter auch Rumänien. Laura Codruta Kovesi, die im Juni letzten Jahres auf Anordnung des damaligen Justizministers, trotz anfänglichen Widerstandes von Staatspräsident, aus dem Amt der Leiterin der Obersten Korruptionsbekämpfungesbehörde entlassen wurde, wurde wiederholt für ihre Tätigkeit als Staatsanwältin gelobt, in Folge der Minister, Bürgermeister und Abgeordnete verurteilt wurden.

  • A Romanian appointed as European chief prosecutor

    A Romanian appointed as European chief prosecutor

    Laura Codruta Kovesi will become
    the first head of the European Prosecutor’s Office (EPPO). The European
    Parliament on Tuesday reached a final agreement with the Council of the
    European Union with respect to Kovesi’s appointment. Negotiations started this
    spring, with Parliament backing Kovesi’s candidacy all throughout the talks,
    despite some opposition of EU ministers initially. Ms Kövesi is the perfect
    choice to become EU Chief Prosecutor. She has excellent professional
    competences. Moreover, Romania does not currently hold any key posts in the EU.
    She will be one of the strong women leading in the EU from now on, Spanish
    MPJuan Fernando Lopez Aguilar, the chairman of the European Parliament’s Civil
    Liberties Committee said. We are very pleased that Ms Laura Kövesi will
    be leading the new European Public Prosecutor’s Office. She corresponds best to
    the European Parliament’s vision of a strong and credible EPPO. Ms Kövesi is
    extremely competent, with an impressive record of achievements in fighting
    corruption with remarkable resilience and great courage, the Budget Control
    Committee Chair Monika Hohlmeier in turn said. Last week, the Committee of
    Permanent Representatives in the European Union voted for Kovesi’s appointment
    as European chief prosecutor. At the time, the former head of the National
    Anticorruption Directorate said the vote is the effort of people who have
    supported the fight against corruption. Laura Codruta Kovesi.


    I believe we should understand
    this vote as an achievement of all Romanians who in recent years have supported
    the fight against corruption and upheld the rule of law and European values.


    The agreement over the appointment
    of Kovesi as European chief prosecutor must now be made official by the
    European Parliament and the Council of the European Union. Brussels says the
    EPPO will be able to investigate, prosecute and bring to court any offences
    against the EU budget, such as tax evasion, corruption and major cross-border
    VAT fraud. The agency, which is set to start its activity next year, is meant
    to make up for the EU’s shortcomings in terms of combating crime. The European
    Antifraud Office (OLAF) is the only independent agency investigating European
    fund fraud, but it cannot prosecute cases, it can only make recommendations to
    national authorities. 22 states have signed up for the European Prosecutor’s
    Office, including Romania. Sacked from the helm of the National Anticorruption
    Directorate in June last year, Laura Codruta Kovesi has been repeatedly praised
    for her activity as a prosecutor, which led to the conviction of important
    ministers, mayors and MPs.


    (Translated by V. Palcu)

  • O româncă la şefia Parchetului European

    O româncă la şefia Parchetului European

    Laura Codruţa Kövesi va deveni primul procuror-şef al viitorului
    Parchet European – este informaţia oficială publicată pe site-ul de internet al
    Parlamentului European. Legislativul comunitar şi Consiliul Uniunii Europene au
    ajuns, marţi,
    la un acord final în privinţa numirii româncei în această funcţie. Negocierile
    au loc încă din primăvară, iar echipa Legislativului comunitar a susţinut-o pe fosta
    şefă a DNA din România pe toată
    durata discuţiilor, în ciuda opoziţiei miniştrilor UE până de curând, se arată
    într-un comunicat de presă.


    Doamna Kövesi este alegerea perfectă pentru
    funcţia de procuror-şef european. Are competenţe profesionale desăvârşite. Mai
    mult, România nu deţine pentru moment niciun post cheie la nivel european, iar
    doamna Kövesi va deveni una dintre femeile-lider ale Uniunii,     a declarat
    eurodeputatul spaniol Juan Fernando López Aguilar, preşedintele Comisiei pentru
    libertăţi civile a PE, după acordul cu Consiliul UE de marţi.


    Suntem foarte
    bucuroşi de faptul că doamna Kövesi va conduce noul Parchet European.
    Corespunde cel mai bine viziunii Parlamentului European pentru o instituţie
    puternică şi credibilă. Doamna Kövesi este deosebit de competentă, cu un
    palmares impresionant de realizări în lupta împotriva corupţiei, cu o
    flexibilitate remarcabilă şi mult curaj    , a afirmat, la rândul său, preşedinta
    Comisiei pentru control bugetar, Monika Hohlmeier.


    Săptămâna trecută, în
    COREPER – reuniunea ambasadorilor la UE – Kövesi a obţinut susţinerea
    Consiliului Uniunii pentru funcţia de procuror-şef al Parchetului Public
    European (EPPO). Atunci, fosta şefă a DNA a dedicat sprijinul primit din partea
    ambasadorilor UE sistemului de justiţie al României şi oamenilor care susţin
    lupta împotriva corupţiei.


    Laura Codruţa Kövesi, pentru Radio România: Cred
    că acest vot trebuie să îl înţelegem ca fiind o reuşită a tuturor românilor
    care, în ultimii ani, au susţinut lupta anticorupţie şi au apărat statul de
    drept şi valorile europene.


    Acordul asupra numirii Laurei Codruţa
    Kövesi ca procuror-şef european trebuie oficializat acum de către Parlamentul
    European şi Consiliul Uniunii Europene. Bruxelles-ul afirmă că Parchetul Public
    European va putea investiga, urmări penal şi aduce în faţa justiţiei infracţiuni
    contrare bugetului UE, precum evaziunea, corupţia sau frauda transfrontalieră
    gravă cu TVA. Agenţia, care îşi propune să fie funcţională până anul viitor,
    încearcă să acopere lipsurile altor agenţii UE de luptă contra
    infracţionalităţii.


    Există deja Biroul European Antifraudă (OLAF), care este
    singura agenţie ce poate investiga independent corupţia cu fonduri europene.
    Însă OLAF nu poate lansa urmărirea penală, ci poate doar să recomande
    autorităţilor naţionale să facă acest lucru. 22 de state s-au înscris în EPPO,
    între care şi România.


    Înlăturată de la conducerea Direcţiei Naţionale
    Anticorupţie anul trecut, Laura Codruţa Kövesi a fost apreciată, în repetate
    rânduri, în alte capitale europene, pentru activitatea sa, ce a dus la
    condamnări ale unor miniştri, primari şi parlamentari importanţi.

  • Laura Codruta Kovesi voted for the position of European chief prosecutor

    Laura Codruta Kovesi voted for the position of European chief prosecutor

    The former head of the National
    Anticorruption Directorate, Laura Codruta Kovesi, has received the backing of
    the Council of the European Union in her race for the position of European
    chief prosecutor. On Thursday the Committee of Representatives of European
    Union Member States gave Kovesi 17 of the 22 votes in favor. The European
    Public Prosecutor’s Office (EPPO) will be founded next year and start its
    activity in 2021. According to European law, the European prosecutor is jointly
    appointed by Parliament and the Council for a one-time seven-year term in
    office. Pundits say Kovesi is almost sure to take over, as the European
    Parliament has expressed its support for the Romanian candidate both in the
    previous and in the current tenure. Having spearheaded the fight against
    corruption for years, but also believed to have instrumented an abusive
    prosecution system, Kovesi has often been labeled as Romania’s most powerful
    woman.

    Shortly before being sacked last year in June, following a
    Constitutional Court ruling, Kovesi admitted during a debate venued at the UN
    headquarters in New York, that Romania’s greatest challenge remains the
    preservation of the independence of judges and prosecutors. There have
    been repeated attempts at modifying anticorruption legislation to limit the
    legislative instruments used by anticorruption prosecutors or to decriminalize
    certain offences. There have been cases where requests to lift the immunity of
    politicians charged with corruption were turned down. The whole justice system
    has seen attacks by means of fake news or public statements aimed at weakening
    public credibility in the system, Kovesi said, claiming the
    Social-Democratic Party and the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats in power
    have tried to rein in the fight against corruption and subordinate magistrates.
    Beyond controversies, the facts speak volumes. In the last five years with
    Kovesi at its helm, the Directorate has prosecuted 14 ministers and former
    ministers and 53 MPs. Of these, 27 were handed final sentences. During the same
    period, the Directorate seized over 2.3 million dollars in assets.

    The recently
    appointed pro-European Prime Minister in the Republic of Moldova, Maia Sandu,
    has offered Laura Codruta Kovesi the leadership of the Anti-graft Prosecutor’s
    Office in Moldova. Conversely, the political class in Bucharest has had
    contrasting reactions to Thursday’s vote. Social-Democrat Prime Minister
    Viorica Dancila and the leader of the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats, Calin
    Popescu-Tariceanu have overtly expressed their discontent and reiterated
    criticism against Kovesi. President Klaus Iohannis and the National Liberal
    Party and Save Romania Union in opposition have hailed Thursday’s vote, which
    some say they tried to take credit for. According to Mrs. Kovesi, the vote is
    also the result of the civic actions and street protests staged by ordinary
    citizens, who have constantly supported her ever since she was sacked from the
    helm of the Directorate, believing, as she often said, that corruption can be
    defeated, never give up!


    (Translated by V. Palcu)

  • September 19, 2019 UPDATE

    September 19, 2019 UPDATE

    EPPO – The Committee of Permanent Representatives in the European
    Union (COREPER) has voted the Romanian Laura Codruta Kovesi as the first
    European Chief Prosecutor, with 17 votes out of 22. Kovesi’s candidacy must
    also be endorsed by the European Parliament, which has already voiced its
    support for the Romanian candidate. Kovesi on Thursday told a television
    station that the vote represents an acknowledgment of the activity of the
    entire Romanian justice system, a success for all Romanians who in recent years
    have supported the fight against corruption and upheld the rule of law. In
    turn, President Klaus Iohannis said the vote in favor of appointing Laura
    Codruta Kovesi as chief European Prosecutor is a major win for Romania.




    GENERAL ASSEMBLY – Romanian
    President Klaus Iohannis next week will attend the UN General Assembly meeting
    in New York. High on the agenda are eradicating poverty, quality education as
    well as social inclusion and climate change. Klaus Iohannis will give speeches
    and have a series of bilateral meetings. The 74th session of the UN
    General Assembly kicked off on September 17, being the most important annual
    event devoted to multilateral diplomacy.




    ECHR – Romanian Prime
    Minister Viorica Dancila Thursday received in the Bucharest the president of
    the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR), Linos-Alexandre Sicilianos. The two
    officials discussed progress with a view to streamlining the Court’s activity,
    with a focus on the future European Convention of Human Rights. Prime Minister
    Dancila pointed out Romanian authorities are actively taking part in the
    process of reform regarding the future system of the Convention. The Romanian
    official has reiterated Romania’s trust in the ECHR, in its role to uphold
    fundamental rights and liberties, underscoring its attachment towards the
    values of the Council of Europe. In turn, the ECHR president referred to the
    good cooperation with Romanian authorities.




    MIGRATION – Last year, some
    5.3 million migrants left their home countries to settle in developed
    countries, reads a report published in Paris by the Organization for Economic
    Cooperation and Development. Romania ranks second after China among the
    countries with the largest number of migrants. Last year, some 500,000
    Romanians emigrated. Most of them got to Germany, Great Britain and Italy. As
    regards migration to Romania, most of the immigrants came from the neighboring Republic
    of Moldova, followed by Chinese and French.


    (Translated by V. Palcu)

  • July 20, 2019 UPDATE

    July 20, 2019 UPDATE

    PROSECUTOR The president of France, Emmanuel Macron, told president Klaus Iohannis over the telephone on Friday that France would withdraw Jean-François Bohnerts candidacy and would back the Romanian Laura Codruța Kövesi instead for the post of head of the European Public Prosecutors Office, the Romanian Presidency announced. Previously, the European Parliament reaffirmed its support for the former head of Romanias Anti-Corruption Directorate becoming the chief EU prosecutor. This spring the European Parliament decided to back Kovesis candidacy, whereas the EU Council preferred the French Jean-Francois Bohnert. Several rounds of negotiations between the 2 institutions yielded no results. Under the rules of organisation of the new EPPO, the Parliament and Council must jointly appoint the EU chief prosecutor, for a non-renewable 7-year term in office.




    VISIT The Romanian State Secretary Maria Magdalena Grigore had bilateral meetings with high-ranking UN officials, during a visit she is making to the USA. According to a news release issued by the Romanian Foreign Ministry, the topics included means to meet sustainable development goals, transport connectivity, the cooperation between Romania and the UN Development Programme, Romanias contribution to peacekeeping missions, international humanitarian assistance and economic developments in the world. Maria Grigore emphasised the importance of the UN in the current world context, and mentioned the progress made by Romania as an emerging donor, both in the field of official development assistance and of humanitarian aid.




    INVESTMENTS A delegation from the Romanian Ministry for the Business Environment, Trade and Entrepreneurship is in Japan until July 26th, to attract Japanese investors in Romania. According to the Ministry, the agenda of the visit includes meetings and talks in Osaka, Kobe, Kyoto and Tokyo, with Japanese governmental officials and representatives of the local business and banking community, concerning the new business opportunities entailed by the Economic Partnership Agreement between the EU and Japan. Meetings will also be held with representatives of major Japanese corporations. The talks are aimed at identifying trade and investment projects of mutual interest. Last year, the bilateral trade amounted to 710 million US dollars. The main Romanian products exported to Japan included tobacco, wood, honey, vehicle components and accessories, clothes, pharmaceuticals and electrical appliances, whereas Romanias imports from Japan consisted in automobiles, tools and equipment, metal and chemical products, optical and photographic equipment and devices.




    FESTIVAL The 11th Film and Histories Festival continues in Rasnov, central Romania. Until July 28th, a special new venue in the centre of the town will be hosting film screenings, theatre performances, Baroque and rock music concerts. Conferences and roundtable talks will also be organised, on topics such as the 1989 Romanian Revolution, economic freedom, the music of freedom, freedom won and lost, cinema and freedom. Other topics approached include the Romanian migration, Europes post-Brexit future, the digital society and minorities. The 50th anniversary of the first Moon landing and the 70th anniversary of the founding of NATO will also be marked. The 2019 edition of the Festival will also host a Summer School for 72 university students and 23 high school students from Romania and the neighbouring Republic of Moldova.




    HOLIDAY In a military and religious ceremony held in Bucharest on Romanian Aviation Day, celebrated every year on 20th of July, the Romanian Defence Minister Gabriel Les thanked the Romanian military and civil aviators for their devotion and paid tribute to those who sacrificed their lives. On the same day, Orthodox and Catholic Christians in Romania celebrated Prophet Elijahs feast day. According to the Bible, the prophet lived nearly 2,800 years ago and brought back faith in the Hebrew God among the people of Israel. Elijah did not die like a human, but was taken to heavens in a chariot of fire. Due to this biographic detail, St. Elijah is the patron saint of the Romanian Air Forces. Nearly 130,000 Romanians also celebrated their name day on Prophet Elijahs Feast Day.



    PHYSICS Romanias team, made up of 4 students from Bucharest, Iaşi (north-east), Timişoara (west) and Baia Mare (north), won 3 gold medals and a silver medal in the first edition of the Balkan Physics Olympiad, held in Thessaloniki, Greece between July 14th and 18th, the National Education Ministry announced. Taking part were secondary school and high school students aged 16 or under at the time of the competition. Eleven countries attended this first edition of the Olympiad.




    YOUTH Romania will be represented by 103 athletes in the 15th Summer European Youth Olympic Festival, held between July 21st and 27th in Baku (Azerbaijan). The Romanian Olympic and Sports Committee announced the participants are athletes aged between 14 and 18, who will take part in the athletics, cycling, artistic gymnastics, handball, swimming, judo, wrestling, tennis and volleyball events. The Committee also says the Romanian delegations objective is to come home with 8 to 10 medals from Baku.


    (translated by: Ana-Maria Popescu)

  • July 20, 2019

    July 20, 2019

    PROSECUTOR The president of France, Emmanuel Macron, told president Klaus Iohannis over the telephone on Friday that France would withdraw Jean-François Bohnerts candidacy and would back the Romanian Laura Codruța Kövesi instead for the post of head of the European Public Prosecutors Office, the Romanian Presidency announced. Previously, the European Parliament reaffirmed its support for the former head of Romanias Anti-Corruption Directorate becoming the chief EU prosecutor. This spring the European Parliament decided to back Kovesis candidacy, whereas the EU Council preferred the French Jean-Francois Bohnert. Several rounds of negotiations between the 2 institutions yielded no results. Under the rules of organisation of the new EPPO, the Parliament and Council must jointly appoint the EU chief prosecutor, for a non-renewable 7-year term in office.




    INVESTMENTS A delegation from the Romanian Ministry for the Business Environment, Trade and Entrepreneurship is in Japan until July 26th, to attract Japanese investors in Romania. According to the Ministry, the agenda of the visit includes meetings and talks in Osaka, Kobe, Kyoto and Tokyo, with Japanese governmental officials and representatives of the local business and banking community, concerning the new business opportunities entailed by the Economic Partnership Agreement between the EU and Japan. Meetings will also be held with representatives of major Japanese corporations. The talks are aimed at identifying trade and investment projects of mutual interest. Last year, the bilateral trade amounted to 710 million US dollars. The main Romanian products exported to Japan included tobacco, wood, honey, vehicle components and accessories, clothes, pharmaceuticals and electrical appliances, whereas Romanias imports from Japan consisted in automobiles, tools and equipment, metal and chemical products, optical and photographic equipment and devices.




    FESTIVAL The 11th Film and Histories Festival continues in Rasnov, central Romania. Until July 28th, a special new venue in the centre of the town will be hosting film screenings, theatre performances, Baroque and rock music concerts. Conferences and roundtable talks will also be organised, on topics such as the 1989 Romanian Revolution, economic freedom, the music of freedom, freedom won and lost, cinema and freedom. Other topics approached include the Romanian migration, Europes post-Brexit future, the digital society and minorities. The 50th anniversary of the first Moon landing and the 70th anniversary of the founding of NATO will also be marked. The 2019 edition of the Festival will also host a Summer School for 72 university students and 23 high school students from Romania and the neighbouring Republic of Moldova.




    HOLIDAY Orthodox and Catholic Christians in Romania celebrate today Prophet Elijahs feast day. According to the Bible, the prophet lived nearly 2,800 years ago and brought back faith in the Hebrew God among the people of Israel. Elijah did not die like a human, but was taken to heavens in a chariot of fire. Due to this biographic detail, St. Elijah is the patron saint of the Romanian Air Forces, which celebrate July 20th with military and religious ceremonies. Nearly 130,000 Romanians celebrate their name day on Prophet Elijahs Feast Day.




    YOUTH Romania will be represented by 103 athletes in the 15th Summer European Youth Olympic Festival, held between July 21st and 27th in Baku (Azerbaijan). The Romanian Olympic and Sports Committee announced the participants are athletes aged between 14 and 18, who will take part in the athletics, cycling, artistic gymnastics, handball, swimming, judo, wrestling, tennis and volleyball events. The Committee also says the Romanian delegations objective is to come home with 8 to 10 medals from Baku.


    (translated by: Ana-Maria Popescu)

  • March 19, 2019

    March 19, 2019

    DETENTION The European Committee for the Prevention of Torture (CPT) has voiced concern with what it called the abuse and improper conditions still to be found in Romanian detention centres. In a release made public today following a visit to 10 detention facilities this February, CPT members point to cases of physical ill-treatment by prison personnel and police on detainees as well as violence among detainees. They urge the Interior Ministry and the Romanian Police Inspectorate General to send a clear message that ill-treatment of detained individuals is illegal, unprofessional and will be punished accordingly. The CPT appreciates the efforts made since 2014 to reform the penitentiary system in Romania, particularly in terms of the development of the parole service, a 30% reduction of prison population and the introduction of compensations for those detained in overcrowded prisons.




    EPPO The first round of negotiations between the European Parliament and the Council of the EU on the appointment of the new European chief prosecutor is scheduled for tomorrow. Romanias former anti-corruption chief Laura Codruţa Kövesi is one of the candidates for this post. In case the negotiation teams fail to reach an agreement tomorrow, further rounds will be held on March 27, April 4 and 10. The head of the European Parliament Antonio Tajani has recently sent the Romanian minister delegate for European Affairs George Ciamba, the incumbent chairman of the Council of the EU, the official letter announcing Laura Codruţa Kövesi as the European Parliaments candidate for the chief of the European Public Prosecutors Office. The Council of the EU on the other hand supports Jean-Francois Bohnert, of France. The EPPO, set to be up and running by end-2020, will be an independent body in charge of investigating and prosecuting crimes against the EU budget. The European chief prosecutor has a non-renewable 7-year term in office.




    SOCIAL EU-wide expenditure for social protection amounted to 2,890 billion euro in 2017, accounting for 18.8% of the GDP and for 41.1% of the total government spending, the European statistics bureau Eurostat announced today. Pension benefits accounted for 10% of the Unions GDP. Social protection spending was below 13% of GDP in Ireland, Lithuania, Malta, Latvia, Romania, the Czech Republic and Bulgaria, whereas 6 member states—Finland, France, Denmark, Italy, Austria and Sweden—allotted at least 20% of their GDP to this area.




    BREXIT The EU ministers for European affairs convene in Brussels today to prepare the European spring summit. They will also discuss the latest developments in the Brexit case, given that March 29 is the end of the 2-year period since the UK notified its intention to leave the Union. European leaders expect London to state clearly its intentions for the future, and many of them want the European bloc to deny a new extension of the deadline. Until a new vote in the British Parliament on the withdrawal deal, which London has already rejected twice, the EU ministers will analyse the political and judicial consequences of a Brexit deferral. Meanwhile, the president of the European Council, Donald Tusk, had meetings with key EU leaders, including the German Chancellor Angela Merkel and the President of France, Emmanuel Macron.





    AWARDS Odeon Theatre in Bucharest hosted last night the 19th edition of the Radio Romania Culture Awards Gala. The event rewarded the most important achievements in Romanian culture last year. Recipients included writer Gabriela Adameşteanu, stage director Radu Afrim, and screenplay writer Ivana Mladenović. “Teach for Romania Association won the section on education, for projects conducted in schools in underprivileged communities. A lifetime achievement award also went to pianist Valentin Gheorghiu.




    VOLLEYBALL The Romanian womens volleyball team CSM Alba Blaj is playing at home today against the Italian side Yamamay e-work Busto Arsizio, in the first leg of the CEV Cup finals. The second leg is scheduled next week in Italy. In the semis the Romanians beat their co-nationals of Ştiinţa Bacău (3-nil in both legs), and the Italians outplayed the Hungarian team Swietelsky Bekescsaba. Last year, Alba lost the Champions League finals to the Turkish side VakifBank Istanbul.



    (translated by: Ana-Maria Popescu)

  • A Romanian in the lead for European chief prosecutor

    A Romanian in the lead for European chief prosecutor

    Last summer
    Laura Codruta Kovesi was dismissed as head of the National Anti-Corruption
    Directorate. President Klaus Iohannis had to sign a decree in this respect,
    after the Constitutional Court took away his right to oppose the dismissal
    proposal made by the Justice Minister Tudorel Toader.






    The head of
    state had originally rejected the proposal as ungrounded, a view shared by the
    Higher Council of Magistracy, whose opinion however is only advisory.






    Today,
    prosecutor Kovesi, whose work has been constantly praised in the European
    Commission’s reports on the Romanian justice system, is in pole position in the
    race for the top position in the new European Public Prosecutor’s Office. She
    got the most votes following hearings in the European Parliament’s Committee on
    Civil Liberties. Codruta Kovesi says this is not only a personal achievement:






    Laura Codruta Kovesi: This vote is not only for me, but for the
    Romanian justice system as a whole. This vote is for all the citizens in Romania
    who over the past few years have supported the fight against corruption and the
    rule of law. It is a vote for all the prosecutors and judges in Europe who work
    under pressure. I had no support from the Government of Romania, I have neither
    asked for it nor expected it.






    No serious
    analyst would have suspected Kovesi of being so naïve as to hope for support
    from a Government that not only denies her merits, but goes as far as to see
    her as the champion of alleged abuse by the National Anti-Corruption Directorate.




    The negative
    votes cast by the Romanian MEPs from the Social Democratic Party and the
    Alliance of Liberals and Democrats are tale-telling. The Social Democratic
    Senator Claudiu Manda said that his fellow MEPs from the same party voted
    against Kovesi’s appointment as European Chief Prosecutor because they know
    about the abuse she had perpetrated in Romania.






    This is a perfect example coming from the
    European Parliament, which very generously teaches us that politics must not
    interfere in the judicial system, but today they are displaying a perfect case
    of political interference with the judiciary, the leader of the Alliance of
    Liberals and Democrats, Calin Popescu Tariceanu said in his turn.


    On the other
    hand, for the National Liberal Party in opposition, the vote is a victory for
    Romania in the European Parliament, whereas Save Romania Union sees it as one
    more blow received by the ruling coalition from the EU.


    The next step is
    a political decision, negotiated by the Council of the EU with the European
    Parliament. The EPPO, expected to be up and running in 2020, will be an
    independent body in charge with investigating and prosecuting crimes against
    the EU budget, including fraud, corruption or cross-border VAT fraud of over 10
    million euro. It will be based in Luxembourg and will consist of a chief
    prosecutor and prosecutors from all participating member states. The EPPO chief
    will have a 7-year term in office.



  • February 26, 2019

    February 26, 2019

    JUDICIARY The Romanian Judge Forum and the “Movement for Safeguarding the Status of Prosecutors believe the Justice Ministers proposal to pass a memorandum giving the Higher Council of Magistracy reasonable time to issue advisory opinions is not enough. Judges and prosecutors stress that magistrates are also disgruntled with the newly set up special division investigating offences in the justice system. On Monday, after a meeting of representatives of judges and prosecutors with PM Viorica Dancila, Minister Toader announced that a dialogue mechanism would be in place to ensure that the bills drafted by the government reach the Council at least 5 days ahead, so that they may be analysed, discussed and approved. He also said the Cabinet would scrap an article in the recent emergency decree, which allowed judges to become chiefs of prosecutors offices and which gave the Council plenum, rather than its prosecutor division, the authority to approve the appointment of senior prosecutors. Also on Monday President Klaus Iohannis asked the Cabinet to cancel the decree. Previously, magistrates in several major cities had protested against the new changes in the justice laws, and some prosecutors offices suspended work this week. The Directorate Investigating Organised Crime and terrorism also decided, for the first time ever, to suspend its activity until March 8, and to only deal with emergencies in this period. Civil society also rallied on Sunday night, in the capital Bucharest and other important cities.




    EPPO The former chief of Romanias National Anti-Corruption Directorate, Laura Codruţa Köveşi, is heard today by the Committee on Civil Liberties and the Committee on Budgetary Control in the European Parliament, as part of the selection of the first-ever European Chief Prosecutor. A French and a German prosecutor have also been shortlisted for this position. The new European Chief Prosecutor is appointed by the European Parliament and the Council. The European Public Prosecutors Office will be an independent body in charge with investigating and prosecuting crimes involving EU funds, including fraud, corruption and cross-border VAT fraud of over 100 million euros. The list of offences may be broadened in the future to include terrorism. The EPPO is scheduled to be operational by the end of 2020.




    ELECTIONS The pro-Russian Socialist president of the Republic of Moldova, Igor Dodon, warned that unless parties agreed to form a governmental coalition after the inconclusive ballot on Sunday, he would call for early elections. His party came first, with 35 out of 101 seats in Parliament, followed by the ruling Democratic Party with 30 seats, and the pro-European Opposition with 26. OSCE observers noticed cases of vote buying, abusive use of administrative resources and obstruction of the voting process in the diaspora, but say that overall the election respected fundamental rights.





    ENERGY Romanias National Energy Regulatory Authority has decided to keep the current regulated electricity tariffs in place for household end-users after March 1. Following the enforcement of Decree 114, only the distribution tariffs are to be raised, by an average 2.5%. The Energy Minister Anton Anton explained that the Authority had been consulted prior to the adoption of the Decree last year, so as to make sure that household users are not affected by prospective price hikes.




    BORDER Over 60 million people and more than 16 million vehicles entered and left Romanian territory last year, with a substantial increase in transit over the border with the Republic of Moldova as well. According to a report made public by the Border Police Inspectorate General, in 2018, over 25% of the total number of crimes reported in Romanian checkpoints took place on the Moldovan border. Checks identified nearly 3,000 Romanian and foreign citizens subject to APBs, the report also says.




    SUMMIT North-Korean leader Kim Jong-un arrived in Vietnam, ahead of his meeting with the US president Donald Trump tomorrow. After their first meeting in Singapore last year, this time attention will focus on persuading North Korea to give up its nuclear programme. Kim Jong-un on the other hand wants international sanctions against his country lifted. According to Donald Trump, North Korea might quickly become an “economic powerhouse in case of complete denuclearisation.




    TENNIS Horia Tecău (Romania, 28) / Jean-Julien Rojer (Netherlands, 20 ATP), the champions of the ATP 500 Series “Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships in 2017 and 2018, in the doubles competition, the only pair to have won 2 editions in the history of the tournament, take part in this years event as well. They are playing today against Jürgen Melzer (Austria, 90) – Nenad Zimonjic (Serbia, 458). The tournament has over 2,700,000 US dollars in total prizes.


    (translated by: Ana-Maria Popescu)

  • New emergency decrees on the judiciary

    New emergency decrees on the judiciary

    Since the latest parliamentary elections in 2016, the justice field has been a battlefield for political disputes between Power and Opposition. On the one hand, the ruling coalition made up of the Social Democratic Party and the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats says it is trying to address legislative errors in the field and thus to modernise the legislation on which the judicial system is based, in full compliance with human rights. On the contrary, the right-wing Opposition, consisting primarily of the National Liberal Party and Save Romania Union, argue that all the measures taken in this respect are designed to undermine the work of magistrates, benefiting the Governments cronies.



    This Tuesday, the Cabinet passed an emergency decree stipulating, among other things, that senior positions in prosecutors offices can no longer be assigned by delegation. According to the Justice Minister Tudorel Toader, these positions include the prosecutor general, the deputy prosecutor general, the chief prosecutor of the National Anti-Corruption Directorate, the chief prosecutor of the Directorate Combatting Organised Crime and Terrorism, and heads of prosecutors offices. These are fixed 3-year terms in office, and a new term will require a new appointment procedure, comprising an interview, the advisory opinion of the Superior Council of Magistracy, and the appointment decree signed by the president of the country.



    Also, considering that under the new emergency decree former judges may also run for a senior prosecutor position, the advisory opinion of the Superior Council of Magistracy will be required both from the institutions division for prosecutors, and from the division for judges. Given that many of the posts in question are currently held by delegation, the office holders only have 45 days until new appointment procedures must be completed.



    Also on Tuesday, after receiving the positive advisory opinion of the Superior Council of Magistracy, the Government passed an emergency decree concerning the selection of Romanias candidate for European prosecutor within the European Public Prosecutors Office (EPPO). This does not concern the European Chief Prosecutor position, for which the procedure is different and has already been initiated. Minister Toader explained that there will be a second category of prosecutors to be selected through a subsequent procedure, namely the delegated prosecutors. Whereas the European prosecutor will work in Luxembourg, the delegated prosecutor will work in Romania on behalf of the EPPO.



    The National Liberal Party responded quickly after the 2 decrees were passed. They announced they would table a simple motion against Minister Toader in the Chamber of Deputies. Save Romania Union also spoke about a black day for the Romanian judiciary, and called on international institutions to step in and on Romanian citizens not to stay indifferent.



    So protesters were also a part of the picture: people gathered on Tuesday night in front of the Justice Ministry, throwing rocks and paint. As for President Klaus Iohannis, he wrote on Facebook that, by means of such emergency decrees, the Social Democratic Party once again works against justice and the rule of law, and seeks to give special status to individuals who are on bad terms with the law.



    In response, the left-wing Prime Minister Viorica Dancila reiterated that laws are not created just for an individual, that politicians must not interfere with the justice system and that citizens rights must be complied with, while the fight against corruption must continue.



    (translated by: Ana-Maria Popescu)