Radio România Internațional

Tag: justice laws

  • European Commission’s First Vice President on Romania’s justice system

    European Commission’s First Vice President on Romania’s justice system

    The First Vice President of the European Commission Frans Timmermans, in charge of Better Regulation, Inter-Institutional Relations, the Rule of Law and the Charter of Fundamental Rights, travelled to Bucharest on Thursday to have talks with all decision makers in the justice system, to do away with any doubts as to the accuracy of the information that Brussels has received on this matter.



    Timmermans discussed with President Klaus Iohannis, with the speakers of the Senate and the Chamber of Deputies, with PM Viorica Dancila, with representatives of the justice system and members of the parliamentary committee in charge of modifying the justice laws. The European official’s visit took place in the context of the assessments that the European Commission makes as regards the Mechanism for Cooperation and Verification in the field of justice and the fight against corruption, and shortly after Romanian Justice Minister Tudorel Toader initiated the procedure of revoking the chief-prosecutor of the Anti Corruption Directorate, Laura Codruta Kovesi. Romania has made considerable progress in terms of the independence of the justice system, and must not back away, Frans Timmermans said at the end of his visit to Bucharest.



    According to him, in the past 20 years Romania has achieved so many things regarding the independence of justice and it is like running a marathon and it is on the last hundred meters. His message for Romania is to keep running, and not go in the wrong direction. Regarding the CVM, the EU’s ambition is to be able to say that in 2019 they will be able to stop it, but this ambition cannot be achieved if the outstanding recommendations from the EC are not finalised. The most important thing is that everyone involved should work together, not against each other, said the European official.



    According to the European official, the Mechanism for Cooperation and Verification can be lifted provided that the conditions are met. Talking about the possible dismissal of the anti corruption chief prosecutor, Codruta Kovesi, Timmermans said that if there are accusations against magistrates, then it is up to other magistrates to deal with them, as this is not a politician’s job. This has to do with the separation of powers in a state and this is how it’s done in the rest of the world, Timmermans has explained.



    He has also said that there is no connection between the CVM and Article 7 as there is no systemic threat to the rule of law, as is the case in Poland. In his turn, President Klaus Iohannis has said that the justice system is completely independent and works effectively, adding that in the past few years democracy has been significantly consolidated in Romania, and the Romanian society’s civic spirit is ever more active, which proves that it has matured.

  • February 28, 2018

    February 28, 2018


    ANTI CORRUPTION – The Chief Prosecutor of the National Anticorruption Directorate in Romania, Laura Codruta Kovesi, has today presented the 2017 activity report of the institution she has headed since May 2013. She has stated that last year was a difficult year for the fight against corruption, as it was fiercely challenged and questioned. Despite that, Mrs. Kovesi has announced that the anticorruption prosecutors solved more than 3800 cases, which is a record for the institution, and forfeited goods worth more than 200 million Euros. The presentation of the report comes against the background of the Justice Minister Tudorel Toader starting last week the procedure to dismiss Laura Codruta Kovesi. The final decision in this matter lies with the president of the country, Klaus Iohannis, who has stated that the Directorate and its leadership have been doing a very good job. Today, the head of state has said that he is waiting for a number of documents to substantiate his decision, stressing though that, quote we are far from dismissal.



    VISIT – The first vice-president of the European Commission and European Commissioner for Better Regulation, Interinstitutional Relations, the Rule of Law and the Charter of Fundamental Rights Frans Timmermans will be paying a formal visit to Bucharest on Thursday. According to the European Commission Representation in Romania, he will meet with president Klaus Iohannis, Prime Minister Viorica Dancila and the speakers of the two chambers of parliament, Calin Popescu-Tariceanu and Liviu Dragnea. Timmermans will also hold meetings with representatives of the judiciary and members of the parliamentary committee set up to amend the justice laws.



    JUSTICE – Romanian President Klaus Iohanniss competence to appoint judges for the offices of president and vice-president of the High Court of Cassation and Justice comes in violation of the constitutional competence of the Superior Council of Magistracy, reads the Romanian Constitutional Courts decision on the modifications brought to the status of judges and prosecutors. On January 30th, the Constitutional Court advised that the law was, in its entirety, constitutional as regarded the criticism formulated by the High Court of Cassation and Justice and the National Liberal Party. Among other things, these modifications stipulate that the president and vice-presidents of the High Court of Cassation and Justice are appointed by Romanias president, based on the proposals made by the Judges Department of the Superior Council of Magistracy, and the head of state cannot refuse these appointments. The Constitutional Court noted that the presidents responsibility would be devoid of content if he would not be able to refuse the appointment of a magistrate, but the elimination of this right does not raise constitutionality issues, as it allows a stronger role to be played by the Superior Council of Magistracy as guarantor of the independence of the judiciary.



    MOTION – The National Liberal Party has today filed in plenary sitting of the Chamber of Deputies a simple no-confidence motion against the Education Minister Valentin Popa. According to the Liberals, what the coalition made up of the Social Democratic Party and the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats has done with regard to education, was to close schools in the year in which we celebrate 100 years since the Great Union, to sack inspectors via fax machines because they failed to comply with the directions set by the party, and hold examinations outside the law. Also, the school dropout rate is on the rise, young people have no possibility to learn about trades in school, and diplomas are far from attesting competences. All these, the Liberals say, are alarm signals that call for an urgent dismissal of the education minister. The leader of the Liberal Group in the Chamber of Deputies Raluca Turcan has stated that this should happen before it is too late.



    EXTREME WEATHER – Europe keeps being affected by the bad weather caused by a cold wave from Siberia. Severe weather warnings are in place in many countries neighboring Romania, and more roads and highways are likely to be closed. In Bulgaria, for instance, codes red and orange warnings have been issued for blizzard and frost. The Romanian Foreign Ministry has issues travel warnings for Hungary, Ukraine, Poland, France, Sweden and Ireland, which are all under codes yellow and orange for heavy snow, blizzard and frost. Extremely low temperatures have also been recorded in central Europe, in countries like Germany, Italy and Spain. From the Baltic Sea to the Mediterranean, the cold wave, dubbed the Beast from the East by the British media, has claimed at least 24 lives in the past days and has severely hampered traffic. On the other hand, the Arctic region is faced with abnormally high temperatures, spiking over 30 degrees. (translated by Mihaela Ignatescu)




  • Waiting for reports on justice

    Waiting for reports on justice

    A new scandal fraught with tough blows has been opposing politicians, once influential people, and anti-corruption investigators, but whose working methods have come under scrutiny in Romania these days. The venue is Prahova in the south of the country, one of Romania’s richest counties thanks to its oil reserves and top mountain resorts, a place also described by the local papers as the feud of the Social-Democratic Cosma dynasty.



    Mircea Cosma, the former county council chairman who spent more than a decade in office, and his son, Vlad, a former MP, have been given 5 and 8-year prison sentences respectively in a corruption file prosecuted by the National Anti-corruption Directorate (DNA).



    Cornered, the Cosma family struck back accusing the prosecutors of having used their case to temper with evidence against other Social Democrats, the former Prime Minister Victor Ponta and the former Prahova MP Sebastian Ghita, who fled to the neighboring Serbia.



    DNA chief prosecutor, Laura Codruta Kovesi, has vehemently denied the allegations, carried by various newspapers, and has again stated that the Directorate’s activity is unfolding strictly in compliance with the law.



    Romania’s Justice Minister, Tudorel Toader, who had made an emergency comeback from a visit he was paying to Japan, has announced that he will next week submit to Parliament, in plenary session, an assessment over the activities of the General Prosecutor’s Office, DNA and the Directorate for Investigating Organized Crime and Terrorism, DIICOT. Toader explains that he has resorted to this solution because under the law he has to brief the MPs over the activity of these institutions and also because he was asked by the Prime Minister amid the Prahova scandal.



    Romanian Prime Minister Viorica Dancila: “Even if it’s about a minister, a Prime Minister or a common citizen, things like these must be cleared. A verification of these things should not drag on; we need a legal point of view on these aspects because otherwise all these may erode people’s trust in the country’s legal system, something I don’t believe should happen.”



    Romania’s President Klaus Iohannis has reiterated his full confidence in the country’s National Anti-corruption Directorate. Using terms quite unusual for his speeches, the president presented his view of the Prahova scandal.



    Klaus Iohannis: “Some offenders are making a desperate attempt to discredit the National Anti-corruption Directorate and its leadership. In my opinion such an attempt is pathetic and unconvincing. You know my opinion of the DNA’s activity but I’d like to say it again: the National Anti-corruption Directorate and its leadership are doing a great job.”



    President Iohannis has added that he doesn’t see any reasons for sacking chief prosecutor Kovesi, although her media and political opponents have consistently been calling for her resignation.

  • Romania’s Schengen Accession

    Romania’s Schengen Accession

    Originally slated for March 2011, Romania’s accession to the travel-free area, along with Bulgaria, has been repeatedly postponed, with the Netherlands expressing its opposition. The reasons invoked have to do with Romania failing to fulfill some of the objectives it committed itself to, under the European Commission’s Cooperation and Verification Mechanism (CVM), which has been monitoring, ever since 2007, the country’s progress in fighting corruption, reforming its judiciary and combating organized crime, although no official link was ever made between Romania’s Schengen Accession and CVM.



    Joining the passport-free zone remains a top priority for Bucharest. Minister for European Affairs Victor Negrescu said Romania could call for a vote on this matter in the Justice and Home Affairs Council in the second half of the year or during the country’s mandate at the helm of the EU Council.



    Victor Negrescu: “Romania will subject its Schengen accession to a vote only when it is certain the vote will go through. We don’t want to be again in a situation when we call for a vote, only to withdraw our request. We either call the vote and are accepted or seek justice by resorting to the instruments available to countries that are not respected”.



    Romania’s Schengen Accession is stipulated in its EU Accession Treaty, and the country has fulfilled all accession criteria, Victor Negrescu argues. “I think we should look reality in the face and admit that Romania has fulfilled all Schengen accession criteria. We are currently drafting a coherent strategy in this respect, with concrete results. We believe Romania has a political and a legal right to join Schengen. We are willing to talk to partner states, although there are currently no arguments to block our accession”.



    Romania’s Schengen accession also ranked high on the agenda for talks between Romania’s President, Klaus Iohannis, and European Commission President, Jean-Claude Juncker. The high-ranking official has warned that, if the latest modifications brought to the justice laws take effect in the form voted by Parliament, talks on Romania’s Schengen Accession and lifting the CVM will take a different course. Moreover, President Juncker pointed out that Romania has made remarkable progress in terms of the rule of law, and the Commission is unwilling to accept any backtracking on this issue.

  • Romania’s justice system, under debate in the European Parliament

    Romania’s justice system, under debate in the European Parliament

    The domestic turmoil stirred by the modifications brought to the justice laws in Romania has reached the floor of the European Parliament, which on Wednesday hosted a debate on this issue. Convinced that the European Union was misinformed over the justice laws, on Tuesday Justice Minister Tudorel Toader had presented European Commission Vice-President Frans Timmermans the status of their implementation.



    Justice Minister Tudorel Toader: “I talked to Mr. Timmermans for 70 minutes, not 30 minutes. It was a very straightforward talk, referring to the justice laws. I repeat what I’ve said on numerous occasions: everyone should voice opinions within the limits of their competencies”.



    After the debate in Parliament, which took place in the presence of EU Commissioner for Justice, Vera Jourova, Minister Toader said the debate had a political stake, and promised he would draw up a list of false information.



    One of the opponents of the justice laws, MEP Traian Ungureanu from the European People’s Party, pointed out the following: “The Social-Democrats won the elections after promising more money, prosperity and whatnot. But the Government’s first decision was to modify laws limiting or removing sanctions for crimes committed by its leadership. The abuse of office was written off, while the cap for including embezzlement as a crime was extended. The Social-Democrats’ modifications to the justice laws will turn prosecutors into their bosses’ investigators, while investigations themselves will undergo a new control mechanism”.



    In turn, MEP Cristian Preda, also with the EPP group, said: “When Jean-Claude Juncker and Frans Timmermans called on the Government to consult the Venice Commission, the Government said ‘no, there’s no need for that’. It was Mr. Tudorel Toader himself, a member of this Commission, who said that”.



    On the other hand, defending the need for a judicial overhaul, Norica Nicolae with the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats said the following: “The presumption of innocence, the rights and liberties related to criminal investigations, are they not procedural guarantees that the European Union fosters? What did you do, Madam Commissioner, when hundreds of people were abusively sentenced to prison and acquitted? What did you do when so many citizens were illegally tapped, when intelligence agencies with no attributes pertaining to the criminal investigation got involved?”



    Another MEP with the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats, Mircea Diaconu, expressed concern over the rule of law in Romania, which he believes is being challenged: “Under our Constitution, Parliament is the only one that can solve these problems. It doesn’t need anyone’s approval and can only be silenced by the Constitutional Court, which is a fully-functional institution in Romania. All else is not worth discussing. I would end by saying that I favour the independence of the justice system and of Romania in particular”.



    In her concluding remarks, EU Commissioner Vera Jourova reiterated the Commission’s request that Romania’s Parliament should call a debate on the modifications to the justice laws, in line with the EU’s recommendations, so as to reach consensus in this matter.

  • February 8, 2018

    February 8, 2018

    FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE — In 2016 Romania earmarked 240 million Euro for foreign development assistance and the neighbouring Republic of Moldova was the main beneficiary of these funds, having received 86% of them. “The National Report on the official development assistance granted by Romania in 2016”, made public by the Foreign Ministry, mentions the fact that a total of 80 states have benefited Romania’s assistance. Among them are Serbia, Ukraine, Georgia, Syria, Turkey, Iraq, and countries from Africa and Central Asia. The total amount granted by Romania accounts for 0.14% of the countrys GDP.




    FOREIGN AFFAIRS — Romanian Foreign Minister Teodor Melscanu has said that no accord regarding Romania’s gas exports to the neighbouring Hungary or other new bilateral projects in the energy sector was signed on the occasion of Monday’s visit to Bucharest of his Hungarian counterpart, Peter Szijjarto. Minister Melescanu has announced in a release that tackled at the meeting was the stage of the undergoing projects, without any new aspects such as ensuring the interconnection of the gas infrastructure. The Romanian Minister’s announcement comes after the Hungarian news agency MTI has reported that Romania allegedly committed itself to ensuring until 2020 the technical conditions for the natural gas export to Hungary and that it could deliver up to 4.4 billion cubic meters of gas every year, to Hungary. This is the first opportunity that Hungary has had in decades to purchase large quantities of natural gas from a source other than Russia, the Hungarian news agency quoted Peter Szijjarto as saying.




    RULINGS – The High Court of Cassation and Justice is today debating the request of the National Anti-corruption Directorate (DNA) to confirm the reopening of a criminal prosecution case that involves, among others, the Social-Democrat Deputy PM Paul Stanescu. Last month Stanescu said he would resign his post if he were indicted in this case of misappropriation of public funds. Also today, the same Court sentenced Darius Valcov, the former Social Democrat mayor of Slatina and former finance minister, to eight years in prison for influence peddling and money laundering. Also, he will have to pay 1.3 million euros worth of damages. The ruling is of first instance.




    STRASBOURG – EU Commissioner for Justice, Vera Jourova reiterated the European Commission’s request that the Romanian Parliament should call a debate on the modifications to the justice laws, in line with the EU’s recommendations, so as to reach consensus in this matter. The domestic turmoil stirred by the modifications brought to the justice laws in Romania has reached the floor of the European Parliament, which on Wednesday hosted a debate on this issue. Romanian Justice Minister Tudorel Toader said the debate had a political stake. Find out more about it, after the news.




    WINTER OLYMPICS – As many as 28 Romanian athletes are attending the 23rd edition of the Winter Olympic Games in PyeongChang, Soth Korea, that officially open on Friday. These will be the largest Winter Olympics in history, with a record-high number of participants and more than 100 medal events. A total of 2,925 athletes from 92 countries have confirmed their participation in PyeongChang, which beats the record numbers seen at the Sochi Olympics in 2014, when 2,858 athletes from 88 countries participated. South and North Korean athletes will also march together under one flag at the opening ceremony on the 9th of February. (Translated by Elena Enache)











  • February 7, 2018

    February 7, 2018

    DEBATE — The European Parliament in Strasbourg is today hosting a debate analyzing the rule of law and judicial overhaul in Romania. The decision to hold the debate was taken on January 18 in the European Parliament, in response to the ruling coalition’s modifications to the justice laws, which were harshly criticized by magistrates’ associations, the opposition as well as the European Union. On Tuesday Justice Minister Tudorel Toader met in Strasbourg with European Commission Vice-President Frans Timmermans as well as members of the Party of European Socialists, discussing the justice laws and their implementation, as well as the Government’s plans to amend the criminal and criminal procedure codes. After meeting with European Socialists, Toader expressed confidence that the EU has been misinformed over the justice reform in Romania.



    CORRUPTION — The problem of corruption in Romania cannot be solved just by arresting suspects, putting public employees on trial and getting sentences, Laura Codruta Kovesi, the head of the National Anticorruption Directorate said earlier today, on the sidelines of a debate titled “Fraud and corruption in the field of public procurement”. Kovesi pointed out that prosecutors’ efforts should be backed by pre-emption and anticorruption education. In turn, Prosecutor General Augustin Lazar said maintaining public trust in the Romanian judiciary should be a priority for those working in the system. Lazar went on to say that any initiative aimed at amending criminal legislation ought to be grounded on impact studies.



    CONSTITUTIONAL COURT — Romania’s Constitutional Court is today discussing a notification filed by President Klaus Iohannis with respect to the modifications brought to the law allowing MPs, ministers, local elected officials, prefects and presidents of county councils to operate as individual traders. The President believes procedure was violated in this case, and that the Senate was supposed to be the decision-making body. In addition, Klaus Iohannis says that the rule-out of this incompatibility clause could diminish integrity standards and hinder the rule of law. The law goes against international integrity standards Romania has pledged to observe and is unconstitutional, the Presidency also says.



    GERMANY — The Conservatives and Social-Democrats in Germany today reached an agreement to form a coalition Government, four months after legislative elections were held in this country. The Christian-Democratic Union, its ally from Bavaria the Christian-Social Union and the Social-Democratic Party managed to compromise over the distributions of ministries in the new cabinet. The parties also overcame divergences linked to the healthcare reform and tightening rules for short-term employment contracts. After a 20-hour round of talks, the German Social-Democrats, who ruled over 2013-2017 alongside the Conservatives, will get to keep the Labour, Social-Affairs, Justice, Finance and Foreign Affairs ministries. The Finance Ministry was previously held by Chancellor Angela Merkel’s Christian-Democratic Union.



    CLIMATE CHANGE — The European Parliament on Tuesday passed a law to limit industry-generated CO2 emission and start implementing the directives of the Paris agreement on climate change. Romania and Bulgaria were subject to derogation for using a new fund under the EU Emissions Trading System (ETS) aimed at modernizing fossil fuel-based heating systems. Informally approved by ministers from Member States, the new law will accelerate the cancellation of emission certificates on the carbon dioxide market, which cover some 40% of greenhouse gas emissions EU-wide. At the same time, under the new law, two additional funds will be created, with a view to increasing innovation and encouraging a switch to a low-carbon economy. An ETS Modernization Fund will help upgrade the energy systems of low-income EU states, including Romania and Bulgaria.



    LAUNCH — The world’s most powerful space rocket, Falcon Heavy, today launched successfully from Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Designed by billionaire Elon Musk, the rocket can carry twice the payload of the closest operational vehicle. Falcon Heavy is also fitted with auxiliary boosters which can be reused, thus saving millions of dollars on launch costs. Prior to the launch, the authorities said this would be a high-risk launch. Falcon Heavy was conceived to carry some 64 tons into orbit, the equivalent of five London double-deckers. Elon Musk confirmed that his 2008 Tesla Roadster is onboard the rocket, which is heading for the orbit of Mars, 225 million kilometers from Earth. Falcon Heavy is the largest and most powerful rocket launched in space after Saturn V, the rocket used for the Apollo space missions, which landed the first NASA astronauts on the Moon.


    (Translated by V. Palcu)

  • February 6, 2018 UPDATE

    February 6, 2018 UPDATE

    REP. MOLDOVA – Romanias strategic objective in the relation with the Republic of Moldova is the European integration of the neighboring state, Romanian foreign minister Teodor Meleşcanu said in Bucharest on Tuesday, fresh from the talks with his Moldovan counterpart, Tudor Ulianovschi. The two ministers talked about ways to consolidate Romanias investments in the Republic of Moldova and about prospects of interconnecting the power-grids. The Romanian foreign minister also mentioned the initiative taken by the authorities of several Moldovan towns to collect signatures for the unification with Romania, a move that has been described by the Moldovan President Igor Dodon as being liable to trigger “a civil war. The declarations that are being made at local level on the unification with Romania are, from Bucharests point of view, only the expression of the Moldovan citizens wish to get closer to the citizens of Romania, without any legal implication. In turn, foreign minister and minister of European integration, Tudor Ulianovschi, has hailed Romanias efforts to consolidate the sovereignty of the Republic of Moldova. He underlined that Romania is Moldovas largest trade partner. Ulianovschi has said Moldovas European orientation continues to be an unchangeable and major objective of Moldovas domestic and foreign policy.



    STOCK EXCHANGES – The Bucharest stock exchange closed on Tuesday 2% below most indices, in line with European stocks. Stocks the world over, Romania included, fell sharply, after the Dow Jones Industrial Average plunged 1,175.21 points, or 4.6%, causing the biggest financial crisis since 2008. Even though they closed in the red, Europes stock markets avoided Mondays sharp plunge in the USA and Asia, especially in Japan, where the Nikkei lost almost 7%, falling below the key 8,000 technical level for the first time in three weeks. In other Asia markets, the Hang Seng index in Hong Kong reported a sharp 3.9% drop, while the Shanghai stock exchange closed in the red, down by 3.40%.



    JUSTICE LAWS – The Romanian Justice Minister Tudorel Toader on Tuesday met in Strasbourg with European Commission Vice-President, Frans Timmermans, to discuss the current stage of the justice laws and the modifications to the criminal codes. Another topics on the agenda was the Romanian Constitutional Court’s ruling on integrity of public office. The European Parliament in Strasbourg on Wednesday will be hosting debates on the rule of law and the reform of the judiciary in Romania. On January 24, the European Commission voiced concern about the latest developments in Romania and called on the Romanian Parliament to reconsider the modifications to the justice laws. The independence of the judiciary and its capacity to fight corruption efficiently are the cornerstones of a strong Romania within the EU, a joint declaration issued by the President of the European Commission, Jean-Claude Juncker, and the First Vice-President of the European Commission, Frans Timmermans, reads. The commission will analyse in detail the final modifications to the justice laws to establish their impact on the efforts to guarantee the independence of the judiciary and the fight against corruption, the joint declaration also reads. Late last year, the ruling majority in Bucharest made up of the Social Democratic Party-the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats in Romania adopted changes to the justice laws, which have been vehemently criticized by magistrates associations and the opposition, on ground they would be aimed to politically subordinate the judicial system.


    SALARY LAW – The salary law passed last year was meant to balance the irregularities in the salary scheme, such as being paid different salaries for carrying out the same tasks in public institutions, Labour Minister Lia Olguta Vasilescu says. The Romanian official pointed out the law observes a basic European principle, that of equal pay for equal work. Bonuses have been capped, as in most cases they exceeded the basic salary. Minister Vailescu went on to say that people working half time will be switched to the 8-hour workload. The Government plans to adopt an emergency decree on this, given that people working half time pay minimum-wage contributions to the state budget, exceeding their real-time paygrade.



    SECURITY – The Directorate for Investigating Organized Crime and Terrorism has announced, in its 2017 activity report, that Islamic radicalisation in Romania is one of the major risks. Anti-terror prosecutors say the phenomenon has gained ground over the past few years and the law on preventing and fighting terrorism should be updated. According to them, last year Romania didnt face any concrete and consistent terror threats. In another move, anti-drug prosecutors say they seized over 2,000 kilograms of drugs in 2017, with cannabis being the most smuggled drug, brought over particularly from Spain and the Netherlands, by road. As regards cross border drug trafficking, Romania has remained a transit country, placed on the “Balkan route of transport, especially of heroin, cocaine and ecstasy.






    ACCORD – The Radio Broadcasting Corporation and the Public Television Station today signed a partnership accord, which will underlie cooperation in terms of informing Romanian citizens, with cultural, educational and social connections. The purpose of the accord is to mutually promote the two institutions and humanitarian campaigns, implementing joint cultural and artistic projects and cooperating with a view to promoting other projects. The accord also recognizes the two institutions major role in society, by promoting national values, providing audiences with innovative and easily accessible cultural programs.


    (Translated by D. Vijeu & V. Palcu)

  • February 6, 2018

    February 6, 2018

    REP. OF MOLDOVA – Romanias strategic objective in the relation with the Republic of Moldova is the European integration of the neighbouring state, Romanian foreign minister Teodor Meleşcanu said in Bucharest on Tuesday, fresh from the talks with his Moldovan counterpart, Tudor Ulianovschi. The two ministers talked about ways to consolidate Romanias investments in the Republic of Moldova and about prospects of interconnecting the power-grids. The Romanian foreign minister also mentioned the initiative taken by the authorities of several Moldovan towns to collect signatures for the unification with Romania, a move that has been
    described by the Moldovan President Igor Dodon as being liable to trigger a
    civil war. The declarations that are being made at local level on the unification with Romania are, from Bucharests point of view, only the expression of the Moldovan citizens wish to get closer to the citizens of Romania, without any legal implication. In turn, foreign minister and minister of European integrations, Tudor Ulianovschi, has hailed Romanias efforts to consolidate the sovereignty of the Republic of Moldova. He underlined that Romania is Moldovas largest trade partner. Ulianovschi has said Moldovas European orientation continues to be an unchangeable and major objective of Moldovas domestic and foreign policy.



    VISIT – Hungarian foreign minister, Péter Szijjártó met in Bucharest on Monday with the Speakers of the two Chambers of the Romanian Parliament, Calin Popescu Tariceanu and Liviu Dragnea, respectively, as well as with his Romanian counterpart, Teodor Meleşcanu. The talks focussed on bilateral cooperation, special emphasis being laid on the energy field and infrastructure. Minister Péter Szijjártó has said Romania is an important strategic partner of Hungary, underlining the significant level of economic exchanges. He has also mentioned the significant contribution brought by the Romanian community in Hungary, and of the Hungarian community in Romania to assure a continuous bilateral dialogue, under its various forms. According to Radio Romanias correspondent to Budapest, Szijjártó has announced that Romania will detail, by 2020, the technical conditions which are necessary for natural gas exports to Hungary. The Romanian and Hungarian foreign ministers have also talked about the education law in Ukraine, which stipulates that education in the mother tongue is available only in kindergartens and primary schools, and they agreed to further cooperate and show opposition to this law, so that Ukraine cannot infringe upon the rights obtained by its ethnic minorities, MTI reports.



    SECURITY – The Directorate for Investigating Organized Crime and Terrorism has announced, in its 2017 activity report that Islamic radicalisation in Romania is one of the major risks. Anti-terror prosecutors say the phenomenon has gained ground over the past few years and the law on preventing and fighting terrorism should be updated. According to them, last year Romania didnt face any concrete and consistent terror threats. In another move, anti-drug prosecutors say they seized over 2,000 kilograms of drugs in 2017, with cannabis being the most smuggled drug, brought over particularly from Spain and the Netherlands, by road. As regards cross border drug trafficking, Romania has remained a transit country, placed on the “Balkan route of transport, especially of heroine, cocaine and ecstasy.



    JUSTICE LAWS – The European Parliament in Strasbourg on Wednesday will be hosting debates on the rule of law and the reform of the judiciary in Romania. On January 24, the European Commission voiced concern about the latest developments in Romania and called on the Romanian Parliament to reconsider the modifications to the justice laws. The independence of the judiciary and its capacity to fight corruption efficiently are the cornerstones of a strong Romania within the EU, a joint declaration issued by the President of the European Commission, Jean-Claude Juncker, and the First Vice-President of the European Commission, Frans Timmermans, reads. The commission will analyse in detail the final modifications to the justice laws to establish their impact on the efforts to guarantee the independence of the judiciary and the fight against corruption, the joint declaration also reads. Late last year, the ruling majority in Bucharest made up of the Social Democratic Party-the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats in Romania adopted changes to the justice laws, which have been vehemently criticised by magistrates associations and the opposition, on ground they would be aimed to politically subordinate the judicial system.



    STOCK EXCHANGES – Stocks the world over, Romania included, fell sharply, after the Dow Jones Industrial Average plunged 1,175.21 points, or 4.6%, causing the biggest financial crisis since 2008. S&P 500 and Nasdaq reported similar situations and this volatility has today extended to Asian markets, especially in Japan, where the Nikkei lost almost 7 percent, falling below the key 8,000 technical level for the first time in three weeks. Other key markets in the region lost some 5%. The European Stocks joined the rout, opening sharply lower in morning trading. European markets had initially plunged by 3%, their biggest fall since the Brexit vote. The stock exchange in Bucharest opened in red, as a result of the shockwave in the US.

  • The EU and the justice laws in Romania

    The EU and the justice laws in Romania

    Romania’s President Klaus Iohannis on Wednesday held talks in Brussels with the EU officials on the rule of law, which preoccupies both the political class and the public opinion in Romania. The independence of the judiciary is an intangible issue, the Romanian President categorically stated. Fresh from the meeting with the President of the European Commission, Jean-Claude Juncker, Klaus Iohannis said the issues related to the justice laws and Criminal Codes must be settled in Romania without waiting for solutions from abroad.



    Klaus Iohannis: “I am convinced that I will succeed to end these discussions in laws, which can be practically used in their best form. However, my most important objective remains the same, namely to ensure the intangibility of the independence of Romania’s judiciary, an issue I will completely dedicate to, doing all my best as a president to keep the things as they are.”



    In turn, Jean-Claude Juncker said that Romania’s legal system is functioning and it cannot be said that Bucharest is neglecting the rule of law as long as the Constitutional Court’s rulings are observed. However, as Juncker has pointed out, backsliding is unacceptable for Romania at this time. The EU official recalls that the lifting of the Cooperation and Verification Mechanism(CVM) – through which Brussels is monitoring the good functioning of the country’s legal system – depends on the observance of these rules and so does the country’s Schengen accession, which Romania has been denied due to persistent corruption in its administration.



    Romanians do not deserve to be treated as second-hand Europeans, Juncker said, adding that, to him, Romania and the Romanians are at the centre of the European life. Jean-Claude Juncker also expressed his willingness to continue to make all the efforts to reach this objective. His statements come after the Bucharest Embassies of 7 EU members and the Commission itself have voiced concern about the amendments to the justice laws. These have been also vehemently contested by the right-wing opposition in the Romanian Parliament and also by hundreds of thousands of protesters who have taken to the streets of Bucharest for a year fearing that the PSD-ALDE ruling coalition is trying to subordinate the magistrates and put an end to the anti-graft fight.



    In response, representatives of the government coalition say the amendments are putting the justice laws in line with the rulings of the European Court of Human Rights where Romania has been constantly accused for the errors in its courts and the abuses in its penitentiaries as well as with previous rulings of the country’s Constitutional Court. In January though, notified by the High Court of Cassation and Justice as well as by the Liberals, in opposition, it was the constitutional judges who tried to stop the reforming zeal of the ruling coalition, as they came to the conclusion that some changes regarding judicial organization and the status of magistrates are unconstitutional.

  • January 31, 2018 UPDATE

    January 31, 2018 UPDATE

    Brussels — The Romanian President Klaus Iohannis on Wednesday held talks in Brussels with the President of the European Commission, Jean-Claude Juncker. In the joint press conference following their meeting, President Iohannis said that the independence of the Romanian judiciary was intangible and that he would get fully involved in this regard, within the limits of his prerogatives. He added that the justice laws and the criminal codes have major problems which should be solved in Romania. In turn, the President of the European Commission said that, if the justice laws were enforced in the form in which they were voted by Romania’s Parliament, the talks on Romania’s Schengen accession and on lifting the Mechanism for Cooperation and Verification, a safeguard measure which the EU has used to monitor the developments in the Romanian justice system ever since its EU accession in 2007, would be held in different terms. Also Mr. Juncker said that the rule of law in Romania reported remarkable progress and that the EC would not accept any step back in this respect. During his visit to Brussels, the Romanian President also talked with the President of the European Council, Donald Tusk, focusing on the agenda of the informal meeting of the European Council scheduled for February 23, when the European heads of state and government will debate the political priorities of the Union budget for the long term.



    EU GDP — The contributions of member states to the EU budget might increase from 1% of the GDP to 1.1%, to cover the loss of Great Britain’s contribution after Brexit. The declaration was made by European Commissioner for Regional Policy, Corina Cretu, in an interview to Radio Romania. Mrs. Cretu added that Romania’s access to European funds might be conditioned on the situation of the rule of law and the independence of the judiciary.



    Government — The new Romanian Government headed by Social Democrat Viorica Dancila on Wednesday met for its first session and corrected a controversial fiscal measure. Upon the investiture vote in Parliament, Viorica Dancila said the objective of her term in office was to bring Romania in the first half of the classification of EU economies in 2020. To this end Mrs. Dancila intends to boost investments for modernizing the infrastructure, to continue increasing the population’s incomes, to reform the administration and to cut down on red tape. The new cabinet is made up of 28 ministers, and has 4 deputy prime ministers, one more than in the previous government.



    State of the Union Address – In the State of the Union Address on Wednesday the US President Donald Trump said that the era of Americas “economic surrender” is over and the US is seeking to enter into new trade agreements with nations that commit to fair and reciprocal trade. The White House leader added that one of the pillars of reform in the field of immigration is to end the visa lottery — a program that randomly hands out green cards without any regard for skill, merit, or the safety of American people. The US President used his first State of the Union address to push for a merit – based immigration system that admits skilled people, who want to work, and who will contribute to society. Trump has called on Congress to support an investment plan of at least 15 hundred billion dollars in the US infrastructure, one of his campaign promises.



    Trade unions — The Spiru Haret education trade union federation on Wednesday picketed the headquarters of the Education Ministry in Bucharest. The action was aimed at blocking abusive merging of classes, groups and education units, at making the authorities observe the legal provisions regarding the salary rights of the teaching staff and increase the budget allocation for education. Trade unionists also announced that they had withdrawn from all social dialogue structures of the ministry and would return only when the ministry officials understand that a genuine social dialogue means transparency, communication, discussions on an equal par and partnership.



    Statistics — Last December Romania reported an unemployment rate of 4.6%, show data published on Wednesday by Eurostat. The average unemployment rate in the community states stood at 7.3%, with the highest percentages being recorded in Greece and Spain. In December the unemployment rate dropped in all the EU states, except for Finland, where this rate remained stable, Eurostat data also show. (news translated and updated by Lacramioara Simion)

  • Reactions to the European Commission’s statement on the justice laws

    Reactions to the European Commission’s statement on the justice laws

    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)

  • January 23, 2018 UPDATE

    January 23, 2018 UPDATE

    SCHENGEN – Romania’s President Klaus Iohannis on Tuesday stated, at the annual meeting with the heads of the diplomatic missions accredited to Bucharest, that Romania’s joining the Schengen area is essential. He has also stated that the logistics needed for Romania’s holding the presidency of the EU Council in 2019 must be properly prepared. The head of state has given assurances that Romania will keep taking part in the debates on strengthening the economic and monetary union and has added that unless it joins the Schengen area, Romania will not enjoy all the benefits ensured by its EU integration. The president has also stated that Romania’s foreign policy pillars are the strategic partnership with the US and its membership to the EU and NATO. Klaus Iohannis has also stated that Bucharest firmly pleads for strengthening trans-Atlantic ties.



    OPPOSITION – The National Liberal Party, the main opposition party in Romania, on Tuesday presented the so-called “black book of the ruling coalition”. The president of the party Ludovic Orban has stated that 2017 was a lost year for Romania and the country is heading in the wrong direction from a democratic, economic and social point of view. According to the analysis made by the Liberals, out of the 724 measures that the government formed by the Social Democratic Party and the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats committed to implementing, only 33 were implemented, and as regards major fields such as education, health and the economy, less than 5% of the promised measures were taken. Also, budget expenditure exceeded revenues and the money was not used for development, it was mainly spent on personnel expenditure. The National Liberal Party also claims that when the coalition started ruling, the inflation rate was 0.2%, to then reach 3.3% in 2017. Previously, Orban had announced that the Liberals would establish the way in which they were going to act in Parliament, to prevent the validation of the new governmental team, headed by the Social Democrat MEP Viorica Dancila.



    JUSTICE LAWS – The Constitutional Court on Tuesday delayed a decision on the challenges lodged by the High Court of Cassation and Justice and the National Liberal Party and Save Romania Union in opposition for January 30. The Court did announce that the law referring to the setup of a special Prosecutor’s Office responsible for investigating judges and prosecutors is constitutional. Magistrates believe that this breaks the principle of equality before the law, as they would become the only professional category in Romania to have a special office for their own prosecution. In turn, the Liberals say that the changes brought to the justice laws break several constitutional principles, including the senators’ and deputies’ right to have legislative initiatives. On Saturday, dozens of thousands of people protested again against the ruling coalition in Romania, whom they blame for trying to subordinate magistrates and to put an end to the fight against corruption. The changes in the justice laws have also been criticized by president Klaus Iohannis, the media and some of Romania’s western partners.



    IMF – In an update on its bi-annual “World Economic Outlook”, the International Monetary Fund estimates that world economy will increase its growth rate to 4% in 2018 and 2019. Also, the report reads that last year, economic activity in Europe and Asia was surprisingly better than estimated, so the fund has revised upwards its estimates for the Eurozone, in particular for Germany, Italy and the Netherlands. According to the IMF, the US economy would register an economic growth rate of 2.7% in 2018, but that would slow down to 2.5% in 2019. The Chinese economy would register a rate of 6.6% this year, and 6.4% in 2019. As regards Romania, in its “World Economic Outlook”, published in October 2017, the IMF revised the growth rate estimated for Romania in 2018, from 3.4% to 4.4%.



    FLU – A 40-year old woman has died in Botosani, north-eastern Romania, of complications triggered by the flu. This is the third death caused by flu viruses this year in Romania, after a 69 year old woman in Bucharest and a 15-year old boy in Salaj, north-western Romania. The Health Minister Florian Bodog has called on family doctors to continue the anti-flu vaccination campaign this month too, especially of people who are at risk. According to the National Centre for Disease Surveillance and Control, the total number of cases of acute respiratory infections has reached 75,000. Specialists say that, as compared to the same period last season, the total number of ill people is smaller by some 25%.



    PACE — Senator Titus Corlatean, the head of Romania’s Parliamentary delegation in the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe, was elected vice-president of the Assembly in 2018 for the second time in a row. The election was made on the sidelines of a PACE session in Strasbourg. Titus Corlatean was also designated PACE rapporteur for the emergency debate “The Peacemaking Process in the Middle East: the contribution of the Council of Europe”. Scheduled for Thursday, the debate will also occasion a report presented by Corlatean, who will also submit a resolution on this topic to the Assembly for approval.



    TENNIS – The pair made up of the Romanian tennis players Irina Begu and Monica Niculescu has qualified for the semifinals of the Australian Open, the first Grand Slam of the year, after a 3 set victory against the US couple Jennifer Brady/Vania King. Next, Begu and Niculescu will take on the Russians Ekaterina Makarova/Elena Vesnina, who won the title in Melbourne back in 2014. On Wednesday, Romania’s only representatives in the singles, Simona Halep, takes on Karolina Pliskova of the Czech Republic. Halep is the world’s number one player and also first-seed at the Australian Open. (Translated by M. Ignatescu & V. Palcu)

  • Mobilization for justice

    Mobilization for justice

    The year 2018 started just as 2017 ended in Bucharest: with virulent accusations against the government coalition made up of the Social Democratic Party and the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats and supported by the Democratic Union of Ethnic Hungarians in Romania. The accusations refer to the coalitions attempts to subordinate magistrates and stop the anti-corruption fight. Starting on January 1, 2018, over 200 people protested in front of the government headquarters in Bucharest against the swift modifications brought to the justice laws by Parliament in December, given that the speed at which Parliament usually makes laws is quite slow.



    During Fridays meeting of the Supreme Council of Magistracy, President Klaus Iohannis lashed at the debates held in the special parliamentary commission for the justice laws, claiming that the procedure was “freshly concocted and talks were held by “silencing the right wing opposition represented by the National Liberal Party, the Save Romania Union and the Peoples Movement Party. Hundreds of people took to the streets in Timişoara (in the west) on Saturday, and in Cluj (northwest), on Sunday, to call on the Government and Parliament to observe the independence of the judiciary.



    Also on Sunday 19 NGOs asked President Iohannis, in an open letter, to mediate the conflict between the state and the society. The signatory organizations say that the political power is trying to undermine the anti-corruption fight, to endanger the independence of prosecutors and to subordinate the judiciary.



    The NGOs want the president to call for an opinion from the Venice Commission, which should clarify whether the modifications brought to the justice laws are compatible with the fundamental standards of the rule of law. In reply, the power representatives in Parliament, the Government and the mass media keep reiterating that the laws had to be revised, so as to be harmonized with the decisions of Romanias Constitutional Court and with the rulings of the European Court of Human Rights, where Bucharest lost many trials because of the anomalies in courts and penitentiaries. Unchanged for 13 years, that is before Romania joined the EU, the justice laws allowed for abuses by prosecutors and judges, claim the supporters of the modifications to the justice laws.



    Nevertheless, analysts criticize the power for the hasty and chaotic manner in which they passed the laws. They recall the contribution of the National Anti-Corruption Directorate following which a former prime minister was sentenced to prison, an incumbent prime minister was prosecuted, a judge of the Constitutional Court as well as the general mayor of Bucharest and the mayors of the capitals 6 sectors were arrested. Accused of corruption are scores of former members of the Government and Parliament, town mayors, county councils presidents and prefects, on the right or the left of the political spectrum, in power or in opposition, and analysts say that by changing the justice laws, politicians are actually trying to protect themselves and become an intangible caste. (Edited by D. Vijeu)

  • The justice laws, again in the spotlight

    The justice laws, again in the spotlight

    43 NGOs that have been staging street protests against the ruling coalition’s changes to the justice laws and criminal codes have called, in an open letter, for a meeting with Social-Democrat Prime Minister Mihai Tudose, seeing dialogue as the only way to preserve and consolidate democracy. Dialogue and consultations between lawmakers and civil society when it came to modifying the justice laws fell short of expectations, the letter reads. Held on Wednesday, the meeting brought together seven representatives of NGOs. After several hours of dialogue, the meeting was inconclusive. Prime Minister Mihai Tudose agreed only to one of their demands, namely referring the justice laws to the Venice Commission, although he did not make it clear when and how this will happen.



    Mihai Politeanu, a representative of “Initiativa Romania” civil organization, told us more: “Our second demand was postponing the adoption of the justice laws by emergency decree until the Venice Commission provides an opinion on it. Our third demand was the immediate sacking of Justice Minister Tudorel Toader, who’s stopped being a reliable dialogue partner, both morally and professionally, as far as civil society, state institutions and Romania’s foreign partners are concerned”.



    NGOs have also told the Prime Minister that Romania has broken away with the standards of democracy and the rule of law, adding that street protests will continue as long as talks yield no concrete results. Social Democrat leader Liviu Dragnea told a private television station that he was confident no provision in the new laws will affect the judiciary or the magistrates’ activity.



    Liviu Dragnea: “I hope these laws will mark an important step in the longer or shorter process of putting an end to abuses in Romania. I have carefully looked at the final version of the text before the vote, and the measures are all important”.



    The debates on the justice laws have been very transparent, Liviu Dragnea went on to say. Referring to the right-wing opposition’s undertaking to notify the Constitutional Court on this matter, the Social-Democrat president doubts the Court will find the laws to be unconstitutional, adding that should some articles be declared unconstitutional, Parliament will step in to modify them.