The Week in Review 21-27.08.2017
Click here for a review of the week's main events
România Internațional, 26.08.2017, 14:08
A draft to reform Romania’s Justice System
Since its EU accession in 2007, Romania has registered remarkable successes in reforming its justice system. The country’s progress in this field has not remained unnoticed by Brussels, which has been strictly monitoring the process. Now the European Commission has called on the government in Bucharest to provide more details on a draft aimed at reforming the country’s justice system. The draft, which was made public by the field minister, Tudorel Toader, on Wednesday, has sparked off heated debates in Romania of late. The irreversibility of the headway Romania has made in the anti-corruption fight in the past decade is essential to the European Commission, the EU Executive says in a statement.
The draft, which attracted a lot of heat from the opposition in Bucharest, has been described by Romanian President Klaus Iohannis as “an attack against the rule of law”. Coming six months after an attempt by the centre-to-left government to relax anti-corruption legislation in Romania, the initiative also provides for trimming the prerogatives of the National Anti-corruption Directorate (DNA), which could not investigate the justices. The draft provides for many amendments, from the way in which chief prosecutors are appointed to setting up a special unit in charge of monitoring the magistrates. “If this mixture of measures is adopted by the government and approved by Parliament, Romania’s efforts of the past 10 years will be erased and the justice system will be thrown back to an era, when it was subordinated to the political class” — the Romanian head of state has argued.
Under the legislation in force, chief-prosecutors are appointed by the president, upon proposals by the Minister of Justice and after the consultative agreement of the Higher Council of Magistracy (CSM), the body that guarantees the independence of the judiciary. At the same time, Toader proposed that the politically appointed Minister of Justice take control over the CSM’s judiciary inspection unit. Analysts and magistrates believe this thing would foster the interference of politics in the justice system. At the same time, the General Prosecutor’s Office considers these proposals as an alarm signal, admitting the prosecutors have not been consulted.
Emmanuel Macron visits Bucharest
In a speech delivered at the French Embassy in Bucharest, the French President Emmanuel Macron also warned that, in their current form, the proposed changes of the justice law were not in line with the promises Romania made to carry on with the anti-corruption fight. The French President on Thursday paid his first official visit to Romania where, alongside his Romanian counterpart, Klaus Iohannis, agreed on the deepening of the bilateral strategic partnership. Several agreements have been signed, including one on the production of state-of-the-art tactical missile systems.
President Iohannis underlined Bucharest’s interest in boosting French investments and cooperation between France and Romania as regards the consolidation of the European project, while reiterating Romania’s firm wish to be admitted into the Schengen area. He underscored that Romania had already acted de facto as a responsible state and had participated in all the efforts meant to strengthen the EU’s external borders. The president argued that Romania’s Schengen accession would consolidate common security and would send a strong message in support of the EU.
In turn, Emmanuel Macron said that France was determined to work together on the road map to consolidating the future of the EU, the Euro Zone and all the efforts to be made in the future, as France is well aware that Romania is firmly determined to be integrated into a Europe that is set to go ahead, the Euro Zone being an element of convergence in this regard. During his one-day visit to Bucharest, the French President also met with the PM Mihai Tudose.
Bucharest and the situation in Afghanistan
Romania, alongside other NATO allies, has hailed the announcement by the U.S. President Donald Trump on stepping up the military campaign against insurgents in Afghanistan. The White House leader has ruled out a prospective U.S. pullout from that country, expressing confidence that “a hasty withdrawal would create a vacuum that terrorists, including ISIS and Al-Qaeda, would instantly fill”. In Bucharest, the Romanian defence minister, Adrian Ţuţuianu, has said Romania, which is NATO’s forth largest contributor of troops, might supplement the number of troops which take part in the “Resolute Support” mission.
This week, military of the “Brave Hearts” Force Protection Infantry Battalion in Focşani have taken over the Romanian missions unfolding in the theatre of operations in Afghanistan from the 151st Infantry Battalion “Black Wolves” of Iasi, as part of NATO’s Resolute Support Mission. The over 600 Romanian troops will have as main task to secure the Kandahar base, going on patrol missions alongside other coalition military, the Afghan army and police. The Romanian military will also secure the largest airport in southern Afghanistan.
The region continues to raise problems in terms of security. The latest incident, during which a Romanian military was also injured, occurred two weeks ago. Data issued by the Romanian Defence Ministry show 25 Romanian military have died in the line of duty in Afghanistan since 2001, when Romania started taking part in missions in that country. Another 100 Romanian military have got injured so far in that theatre of operations.
