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President Iohannis: It is inadmissible for politician who is also offender to threaten magistrates
President Klaus Iohannis said on Tuesday that it is inadmissible for a politician who is also an offender to threaten magistrates, referring to the statements of the Social Democratic Party (PSD) leader Liviu Dragnea.
"The magistrates are outraged with good reason, as in how come a politician who is also an offender goes on television to threaten magistrates there, after summoning a mediocre anti-justice rally. So it is inadmissible," Iohannis said at Cotroceni Presidential Palace.
In the context, he stressed that the state should not be left in uncertainty for "the sake of one who wants to be stronger than it is healthily."
"We cannot allow the state to go into a situation of uncertainty (...) and find out that, instead of consolidating the Romanian democracy, we, for the sake of someone who wants to be stronger than it is healthily, to give up on democratic values," said Iohannis.
On Sunday, at a TV station, PSD Chair Liviu Dragnea explained the reasons why the Social Democrats organized a rally.
"We did this rally for several reasons. The first and the strongest reason is to firmly protest against this odious, rotten system handled by a handful of intelligence officers under the patronage of Klaus Iohannis, who is one of the main beneficiaries of this system, through the tools the heads of the Prosecutor's Offices have, the intelligence services officers, Pahontu - one of the leading leaders of the parallel state - and all the others, all the protocols you have exposed and who continue to surface," Dragnea said.
President Klaus Iohannis also said that he read the reasoning of the Constitutional Court of Romanian (CCR) ruling in the case of chief prosecutor of the National Anti-Corruption Directorate (DNA) Laura Codruta Kovesi, but the evaluation is not finished, adding that, at this stage, the reasoning raises more questions than it brings clarifications.
"I've read the reasoning of the court. In order to avoid public confusion: I said from the very beginning that I will read this reasoning until I understand it very well. So, there is still little bit to read. But, after reading the reasoning, some issues have arisen that have made me take a fresh look at the process. At this stage, I admit that the reasoning raises more questions than it brings clarifications," Iohannis said at the Cotroceni Presidential Palace after meeting a visiting delegation of the Venice Commission.
Asked how long it will take him to make a decision regarding the possible removal from office of the National Anticorruption Directorate (DNA) head, Laura Codruta Kovesi, Iohannis said that he needs to react within a reasonable time frame.
"I need to react within a reasonable time frame, we cannot wait, for example, until December. But I don't believe anyone really expects from me to mechanically enforce a decision in a day or two. I repeat, I do not wish we end up in a state based on an empty shell but I wish, since these issues have surfaced now, to hold a debate, to discuss, to get this clear before we take a step," Iohannis said.
Asked whether a potential resignation of Laura Codruta Kovesi would diffuse the situation, he denied.
"'Paradoxically, not, because the questions have been asked, things were written in a reasoning of the CCR [Constitutional Court of Romania, ed.n.]'s decision and they must be answered. We cannot stand by and wonder: well, now what with the prosecutors, now what with the anti-graft fight? No, the anti-graft fight must continue, prosecutors need to be independent, under no circumstances can they be politically controlled, we cannot have a super-minister dictating the president what to do. Therefore it is important to straighten these things out, otherwise we will be left with an incertitude that makes things worse instead of clarifying them," Iohannis affirmed.
He concluded that he is not breaching the fundamental Law by not providing a rapid response on this matter, but that he is watching over the enforcement of the Constitution.