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President Iohannis: Romania "cannot take steps back in the anti-corruption fight"
Romania "cannot take steps back in the anti-corruption fight," President Klaus Iohannis stated on Thursday, adding that the chief of DNA (National Anti-corruption Directorate) must be someone who is determined "to engage in this difficult fight."
"Romania cannot take steps back in the anti-corruption fight, this is inadmissible and I won't ever allowed it. We want, I want the anti-corruption fight to be serious. And for this to happen, DNA needs to be led by someone who is independent, determined and ready to engage in this difficult, very tough, but fair fight. We cannot afford to take a step back in the anti-corruption fight, after Romania was given as a positively example in this," said Iohannis in Brussels, when asked by journalists about the proposal made by the Minister of Justice to appoint Adina Florea as prosecutor-in-chief of the DNA.
The head of state also added that in this case too he has serious concerns "with how the procedures are applied."
"We have a negative opinion from the CSM, which opinion includes a series of issues that we should give a lot of thought. This is something that preoccupies me. (...) I asked the relevant department to verify the lawfulness of this proposal. I won't accept anything that means a backstep in the anti-corruption fight in Romania," he said.
Asked if the appointment of Adina Florea as head of the DNA would be a backstep in the anti-corruption fight and if he knew or discussed with her, the head of state said: "I don't know her and I don't think that I need to meet her in person, I will examine the documents filed for nomination and then I will talk more about this matter when I go back."
According to Iohannis, the ruling coalition made up of the Social Democratic Party (PSD) and the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats (ALDE) and their Government don't want to legislate in a transparent manner or to consult with partners.He added that the Executive's recently adopted emergency ordinance in the Justice area "is very concerning."
"This ordinance is very concerning. We even have more things to discuss here and I wouldn't want to get into details, I will do it when we all get back home, but here are some ideas that are worth mentioning. For example, the magistrates' retirement is a matter that I signaled, I requested Parliament to resume the discussion, [to make] a reassessment. It wasn't done. Afterwards, the Justice Minister came and, without offering any explanation or transparency, without any public consultations, he changed these articles, but if only he would changed them in the sense of solving the problem. Nothing was solved, he simply delayed them. Overnight, new requirements were introduced for prosecutors, aspects that haven't been discussed in Parliament and haven't been prepared. The CSM [the Superior Council of Magistracy] opinions are being ignored. This is why I said that the laws are not made correctly. People expect, and, for good reason, that legislation be made in a transparent manner, after consultations and, certainly, taking into account the views of the system," Iohannis stated upon arriving at the meeting of the European Council in Brussels.
The President said "it's clear that this PSD-ALDE coalition and their Government don't want to legislate transparently or consult with partners."
"It's not the good path, it's not the path that will lead to social peace and is not even going to solve the problems of Justice," Iohannis stated.
When asked if he expected the Ombudsman to challenge the government emergency ordinance on Justice laws with the Constitutional Court or if he believed that there were elements of unconstitutionality included in the normative act, including a possible retroactivity, the head of state said: "Now, no law is retroactive and no emergency ordinance, but we know that there have already been filed requests to the Ombudsman to notify the Constitutional Court. Taking into account that these requests came from the system, I will further wait for the developments and then we can get into more details."
În his opinion, Romanians' waning confidence in EU membership, according to the most recent Eurobarometer, is temporary, most likely generated by domestic issues, by the general confusion created by the ruling coalition of Social Democratic Party (PSD) and the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats (ALDE).
"This is not good news. As we know, a nation's gauging of European issues is usually connected to domestic issues rather than European issues, and the general confusion created by the PSD-ALDE coalition, the lack of transparency in law making, endless debates on justice, where PSD-ALDE also behaves in a way that totally contradicts the expectations of the people and the European partners. All this has led to the reactions of the European partners as well and to the whole situation, which is dissatisfying, and hence this decline," Iohannis explained on his arrival at a European Council meeting.
He was asked by journalists for his take on the findings of the recent Eurobarometer, two months before Romania assumes the six-month rotating presidency of the Council of the European Union, the Romanians' perception of membership of the European Union has a descending trend with declining support from 59 percent to 49 percent.
Iohannis added that in his assessment, "it is a temporary drop.""If we manage to get home, to begin to legislate transparently, to discuss with each other, to follow good governance - that is, government to be for the governed, not against them - then I believe the attitude toward Europe will return to, say, normal rates of over 50 percent," Iohannis said.