RRI Live!

Listen to Radio Romania International Live

October 24, 2018 UPDATE

Justice Minister Toader starts procedure to remove the Prosecutor General of Romania from office

October 24, 2018 UPDATE
October 24, 2018 UPDATE

, 24.10.2018, 19:14

DISMISSAL The Romanian Justice Minister, Tudorel Toader, Wednesday initiated the procedure to remove from office the Prosecutor General of Romania Augustin Lazar, whom he accuses of exceeding his duties. Toader presented an assessment of Lazars managerial performance, in which he criticises the latter, among other things, for having overlooked crisis situations, for generating conflicts of a constitutional nature and for making political statements containing unprecedented accusations targeting public authorities, the legislative bodies and the government. Toader announced that he would submit the assessment report and the proposal to dismiss the Prosecutor General to the Prosecutors Section of the Higher Council of Magistrates for an official opinion, and to the President of Romania for a decision in line with his powers. In February the Justice Minister also requested the removal from office of the head of the National Anti-Corruption Directorate, Laura Codruta Kovesi, accused of overstepping her powers. The head of state did not agree with the request, but the Constitutional Court found that a constitutional conflict between Presidency and Government had emerged, and issued a ruling forcing the President to remove Kovesi from office in July.



CONSULTATIONS President Klaus Iohannis Wednesday held talks with Romanian parliamentary parties on the justice laws recently modified by the governing coalition made up of the Social Democratic Party and the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats, but fiercely criticized by the opposition and civil society. Ahead of the talks, the President had said the justice laws had to be rethought, modernised and improved, and that the law-making cycle should be resumed. The Social Democratic Party disagrees with resuming the legislation process for the justice laws because a Government order has been submitted to Parliament in this respect, the party president Liviu Dragnea said at the end of the consultations with the head of state. Calin Popescu Tariceanu, president of the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats, in power, said that consensus on the justice laws was necessary, but so were a set of shared assumptions, such as the need to end the abuse in the judiciary perpetrated under the secret protocols. The National Liberal Party, in the opposition, has voiced support for the resumption of parliamentary debates on the justice laws, as suggested by the head of state. Also in opposition, the leader of Save Romania Union, Dan Barna believes the Presidency could be a good mediation platform for debates between magistrates, politicians, civil society and the citizens of Romania who want the judiciary to remain independent and effective. The Peoples Movement Party, the Democratic Union of Ethnic Hungarians in Romania and the group of ethnic minorities also took part in the consultations with President Klaus Iohannis. Last week, the Venice Commission, the Council of Europe consultative body for the judicial sector, said in a report that the changes to the justice laws and Criminal Codes are undermining the fight against corruption and organised crime.



LAW – The Romanian Chamber of Deputies Wednesday endorsed the Offshore Bill, after the ruling coalition made up of the Social Democratic Party and the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats reached an agreement on it last week. In early August, President Klaus Iohannis did not sign the bill into law and sent it back to Parliament for a review. What is at stake is, first and foremost, the profit that Romania will make from natural gas extraction in the Black Sea. Under the new bill, 50% of the natural gas output will be traded on the Romanian exchange, and the investments made by operators will be deducted from the tax on additional incomes up to a 30% ceiling. The Opposition argues that once again the bill has been passed without exact data and impact analyses regarding the use of the natural gas in the domestic market.



3-PARTY MEETING President Klaus Iohannis will take part next week in Vienna in a 3-party meeting with the heads of state of Bulgaria and Austria. According to the Presidency, the meeting is aimed at ensuring the continuity of the 3 presidencies of the EU Council. In his talks with Rumen Radev and Alexander Van der Bellen, Klaus Iohannis will emphasise Romanias interest in working together with Bulgaria and Austria to meet the shared goal of promoting the European agenda, to the best interest of the EU citizens. During its presidential term, Romania will focus on promoting a pragmatic approach and feasible objectives, so that European citizens may benefit from concrete results. Romania will hold the rotating presidency of the European Union Council between January 1 and June 30, 2019.



DEFENCE – The Romanian Government has earmarked 2% of the GDP for defense, for the second consecutive year, and it will keep doing so at least until 2026, Romanian Defence Minister Mihai Fifor said in Bucharest on Wednesday. He also said that this amount allows for one of the most solid army modernisation and development processes in NATOs eastern flank. Minister Fifor has announced that on Thursday, October 25, on the Romanian Army Day, ceremonies will be held in memory of the Romanian heroes who died for the country. A Romanian military delegation will take part on Thursday in the funeral ceremonies for 633 Romanian troops, to be re-buried in the Romanian Honorary Cemetery in Rossoshka, Volvograd region, in the Russian Federation. October 25th was also the birthday of Romanias former sovereign, Michael I who died in 2017 aged 96.


(translated by: Ana-Maria Popescu)

Newsflash
Newsflash Monday, 04 November 2024

November 4, 2024 UPDATE

Visit. The Romanian Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu is on a working visit to France where he will meet with his counterpart, Michel Barnier. The visit...

November 4, 2024 UPDATE
Newsflash
Newsflash Monday, 04 November 2024

November 4, 2024

Visit – The Romanian PM Marcel Ciolacu is paying a working visit to France today, where he will meet with his counterpart, Michel Barnier, as well...

November 4, 2024
Newsflash
Newsflash Sunday, 03 November 2024

November 3, 2024 UPDATE

Visit. Prime minister Marcel Ciolacu on Monday begins a working visit to France, where is he due to meet his counterpart Michel Barnier and...

November 3, 2024 UPDATE
Newsflash
Newsflash Sunday, 03 November 2024

3 November, 2024

Moldova elections. Neighbouring Moldova is holding the second round run-off of the presidential elections. Incumbent pro-European president Maia...

3 November, 2024
Newsflash Saturday, 02 November 2024

November 2, 2024 UPDATE

FLOOD According to authorities in Bucharest every Romanian national in the Spanish regions affected by the latest flooding will be able to benefit...

November 2, 2024 UPDATE
Newsflash Saturday, 02 November 2024

November 2, 2024

AUDITION The European Parliament’s specialized committees on Monday are expected to commence the audition of the designated European Commissioners....

November 2, 2024
Newsflash Friday, 01 November 2024

November 1, 2024 UPDATE

  DEFENCE Romania and Norway continue to stand by Ukraine at these critical times, the defence minister Angel Tîlvăr said on Friday, after a...

November 1, 2024 UPDATE
Newsflash Friday, 01 November 2024

November 1, 2024

Floods. One of the Romanian nationals missing in the devastating floods in Spain has been found dead, said the foreign ministry in Bucharest this...

November 1, 2024

Partners

Muzeul Național al Țăranului Român Muzeul Național al Țăranului Român
Liga Studentilor Romani din Strainatate - LSRS Liga Studentilor Romani din Strainatate - LSRS
Modernism | The Leading Romanian Art Magazine Online Modernism | The Leading Romanian Art Magazine Online
Institului European din România Institului European din România
Institutul Francez din România – Bucureşti Institutul Francez din România – Bucureşti
Muzeul Național de Artă al României Muzeul Național de Artă al României
Le petit Journal Le petit Journal
Radio Prague International Radio Prague International
Muzeul Național de Istorie a României Muzeul Național de Istorie a României
ARCUB ARCUB
Radio Canada International Radio Canada International
Muzeul Național al Satului „Dimitrie Gusti” Muzeul Național al Satului „Dimitrie Gusti”
SWI swissinfo.ch SWI swissinfo.ch
UBB Radio ONLINE UBB Radio ONLINE
Strona główna - English Section - polskieradio.pl Strona główna - English Section - polskieradio.pl
creart - Centrul de Creație Artă și Tradiție al Municipiului Bucuresti creart - Centrul de Creație Artă și Tradiție al Municipiului Bucuresti
italradio italradio
Institutul Confucius Institutul Confucius
BUCPRESS - știri din Cernăuți BUCPRESS - știri din Cernăuți

Affiliates

Euranet Plus Euranet Plus
AIB | the trade association for international broadcasters AIB | the trade association for international broadcasters
Digital Radio Mondiale Digital Radio Mondiale
News and current affairs from Germany and around the world News and current affairs from Germany and around the world
Comunità radiotelevisiva italofona Comunità radiotelevisiva italofona

Providers

RADIOCOM RADIOCOM
Zeno Media - The Everything Audio Company Zeno Media - The Everything Audio Company