Romania's junior ruling partner UDMR says Special Section dismantling still not settled

Romanian deputy prime minister Kelemen Hunor, the president of UDMR - one of the two junior partners in the three-party ruling coalition, announced on July 27 that the deadlock regarding the abolition of the special section for investigating magistrates (SIIJ) was not overcome and that the discussions continue in the coalition. The party became, since the ruling coalition formed in January, the key player in the negotiations for the justice reforms, although the reformist USR PLUS manages the Ministry of Justice.

"Today, we did not overcome the deadlock; there were two or three compromise proposals, they must be put on paper, they must be analyzed, we will return in the coming weeks," he said, according to B1tv.ro.

Kelemen Hunor outlined the three alternative solutions. However, none of them is supported by the senior ruling partner - the National Liberal Party (PNL). Liberal leader Ludovic Orban made clear that PNL did not accept UDMR's solutions and came up with his own alternatives.

Dan Barna, the second deputy prime minister, expressed hopes that "a final version of the compromise will be drafted." He also rejected the three alternatives outlined by UDMR, not commenting on the Liberals' solutions.

USR PLUS is managing the Ministry of Justice through minister Stelian Ion.

"Very clearly, however, the UDMR option, that of not abolishing the Special Section, but only of moving it to the General Prosecutor's Office as a directorate, is not supported by either the PNL or us. That is why we are trying to find another option. (...) They must also be discussed at the Ministry of Justice," Barna explained.

(Photo source: Facebook/Kelemen Hunor)