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ALDE leader in the EP, Guy Verhofstadt sends warning to Romanian PM: You get closer to the application of Article 7
The leader of the ALDE group in the European Parliament, Guy Verhofstadt, has warned Romanian PM Viorica Dancila on Tuesday, while the latter has presented the priorities of the Romanian Presidency of the EU Council, stating that the government she is leading might be the third one against which Article 7 of the EU Treaty might be applied, romaniajournal.ro informs.
Verhofstadt added that, if Dancila Gov’t doesn’t comply with the Venice Commission’s recommendations, the entire Liberal family will not go in the elections “with such partners”.
Your country is taking the Presidency at a critical time when vital laws are made”, the European ALDE leader said, among which he mentioned the reform of the Dublin system and the initiation of two procedures under Article 7 against Poland and Hungary.
“I really hope there won’t be a third such case during your presidency. One against you. And I have to say, you are not far from that. You are getting closer and closer to the application of Article 7, for you keep ignoring the Venice Commission’s recommendations“, Verhofstadt argued, as Digi24 reported.
The ALDE leader recalled that he had met the PSD chairman liviu Dragnea in Bucharest in November last year. “He defended your government’s attitude claiming that the . Well, many things are secondary in Europe, it’s true, but by no means the rule of law”, he stressed.
Verhofstadt added that he had told the same thing to his Romanian counterpart, Senate Speaker Calin Popescu Tariceanu (chairman of Romanian ALDE) on the same day. ” He promised me your government will give in to the Venice Commission completely. Moreover, once it had been done, the Commission would be asked to check it again“, Verhofstadt stated, referring to the independence of the justice system, the reform of the criminal codes and the amendment of the NGO law.
“None of these promised have been kept. On the contrary. Your government continues to follow a path that is directly leading to the wrong practices of Orban and Kaczynski. You plan a law to guarantee the amnesty of corruption deeds so that the big fish should not be within reach of the courts. With such partners, my group, the entire Liberal family will not go in elections. We’ll join the new clean, democratic forces that want to stop corruption, to clean the country, to stop the abuse of power committed by the old secret service, the service of Ceausescu, Iliescu, Basescu”, Verhofstadt concluded, not before wishing Viorica Dancila luck.
“I wish you to be a real prime minister of your country, to clean up the mess made in the past. And I wish you to do it without reaching a compromise with the corrupt forces of today“.
Prime Minister Viorica Dancila said on Tuesday that one cannot speak about the activation of Article 7 of the Treaty on European Union in the case of Romania, underlining that in our country the rule of law is not violated.
Dancila was asked in the joint press conference with the President of the European Parliament, Antonio Tajani, in Strasbourg, who would be the allies of Romania if Article 7 of the Treaty on European Union were activated against the Romanian Government, given that Poland and Hungary, against which the procedure was initiated, are mutually supportive.
"With regard to the activation of Article 7 and allies, I believe that Romania should not think of allies, because the activation of Article 7 for Romania cannot become reality, because in Romania the rule of law is not violated. So, we cannot speak about activating Article 7 in this situation. I would not want to put Romania alongside Hungary, Poland and I would not want to talk about this, because in Romania the rule of law is observed and I do not think a discussion about this aspect is useful," Viorica Dancila answered.