Journalists federation and trade union warn European Parliament on Romanian freedom of speech violation

The Romanian Journalists Federation MediaSind and the Romanian Democratic Trade Unions Confederation (CSDR) draw the attention of the European Parliament on the violation of the freedom of speech and information in Romania. The two institutions have sent the president of the European Parliament's Commission on Petitions, Erminia Mazzoni a letter denouncing changes which violate the freedom of speech in the country, according to Agerpres. According to the letter, the Romanian Supreme Defence Council (CSAT) examined and approved the National Defense Strategy on this June 23, with the document having been drawn up on an initiative of Romanian President Traian Basescu; the document was debated and approved at the CSAT meeting by the most important members of the Government and by the chiefs of the main secret services, the letter adds. The letter explains that the CSAT document cites the challenges to the national security of Romania, with Article 6.2, Weaknesses, stating: 'The phenomenon of the orchestrated media campaigns meant to denigrate the state institutions by disseminating false information about their activity, the pressure put by the media trusts on the political decision-making act with a view to gaining economic advantages or advantages in their relation to the state institutions represents a weakness or vulnerability of the Romanian state'. 'Including such an assertion in the CSAT official documents amounts to an attempt of reversing the Romanian democratic system - an unprecedented fact in the country's recent history. In contrast to any other similar document approved in any other European Union or NATO state, as well to the documents previously approved in Romania after 1990, the National Defense Strategy from June 23, 2010 explicitly cites the media's actions as a weakness or as making the country vulnerable', the letter to the European Parliament says. AGERPRES

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