President Dan on reforming judiciary in Romania: it takes time and "critical mass" among those involved

Touching high public expectations for initiating reforms in the judiciary system, Romania's president Nicusor Dan explained in two consecutive interviews given to the public TVR and B1 broadcasters that "it takes time and a critical mass," but assured that he has not abandoned "at all" the idea.

On the magistrates' retirement and pensions, he reiterated his call for moderation – implying the current draft law on this matter, currently under review at the Constitutional Court and a focal topic on the agenda of prime minister Ilie Bolojan, who strongly backs it as a means to consolidate public credibility, would be a bit tougher. President Dan said magistrates expecting retirement should not see their remaining working period more than doubled, as a principle, but admitted that retired magistrates' pensions must decrease.

Dan's previous remarks about the magistrates' hard work, perceived as a justification for their privileges ("special pensions"), prompted public irritation.

Asked by B1 TV whether he had abandoned the fight against corruption, the Romanian president replied: "Not at all, but I don't know if I said it or not in the campaign, there are people, institutions, relationships between them, normative acts that have been made over time. A change requires time and critical mass."

He separately explained to TVR that the "critical mass" should emerge from among those involved in the planned reforms in the judiciary system and he also stressed that there exist legal limitations that have to be observed, Cursdeguvernare.ro reported.

"I think many people understand that in this balance of power, there are many institutions, and somehow the president's action must be in dialogue, sometimes in agreement with these institutions. That is, there is the minister of justice, there is the Superior Council of Magistracy, there are some laws, there are some limits to the president's action, and, precisely for the president's action to be effective, many hours of consultations are needed."

However, the statements made by president Dan during the electoral campaign, as reported by the B1 TV station, appear somewhat more critical. He stressed before the presidential elections that he perceives the expansion of corruption in certain areas that are not sufficiently investigated by prosecutors, especially those of the National Anticorruption Directorate (DNA). Among the areas mentioned were large-scale tax evasion, corruption in real estate, drug trafficking, and illegal logging.