EPP President: It is a sad day for Romania. The independence of justice is at stake

Joseph Daul, president of the European People's Party (EPP), said on Thursday that it was a sad day for Romania and for all Romanian citizens who protested in the streets to defend the independence of justice. The Senate voted on Thursday the last of the three laws on the functioning of the justice system in Romania. The three laws bring changes to the magistrates' status and the functioning of some key judiciary institutions, which may waken the justice independence from politicians. “The separation of powers in state is a pillar of democracy. The justice system should never be put under political control in a member state of the European Union. The actions of the socialist majority undermine the rule of law in Romania. They are symptoms of a diseased democracy,” the EPP president said. Joseph Daul pointed out that the amendments to the laws of justice and the amputation of the National Anticorruption Directorate (DNA) are alarming. "By increasing the control over institutions in Romania, the socialists may increase their power, but they weaken Romania,” Daul added. He expressed the support of the EPP for magistrates, judges, prosecutors and all people who fight corruption. Dutch MEP Johannes van Baalen, the president of the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe (ALDE), also said that justice in Romania should remain independent. He said he was worried about the recent developments in Romania and that he would come to Bucharest to talk to Senate president Calin Popescu Tariceanu, the head of the Romanian ALDE, the socialists’ junior coalition party, about the recent changes to the justice laws, according to RFI. Romania’s Senate adopted on Thursday the draft project on the operation of the Superior Council Magistracy (CSM). The Judicial Inspection remained subordinated to the Superior Council of Magistracy. The law on the functioning of the CSM is the last one of the package of the three laws of justice amended under an accelerated procedure in Parliament. The other two normative acts, the law on the status of judges and prosecutors and the law on judicial organization, were already adopted by the Senate in the previous days. The special section for the investigation of magistrates received more power, according to the amendments voted in the Senate. This structure will be able to investigate all offenses committed by prosecutors and judges. Seven EU countries ask Romania to avoid actions that may weaken the justice system editor@romania-insider.com