Political statements and actions

On Saturday, June 9, the Social-Democratic Party, the main party in the ruling coalition in Romania, is organizing a rally for the observance of democracy and against abuses

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Ştefan Stoica, 05.06.2018, 12:50

For one and a half years, protests have periodically been taking place in Bucharest, in the big cities of Romania and in other countries where Romanians went in search of a better life against what hard line critics of the leftist majority emerging in the wake of the 2016 elections believe it is the latter’s bid to subordinate justice and curtail the fight against corruption. The Social Democratic Party (PSD) has long tried to hold a big rally as a response to those protests. After hesitations in terms of the date and theme of the rally, the president of the Social-Democratic Party, Liviu Dragnea announced the date of the rally — June 9 –and its purpose:

“We are holding this rally to show we are determined to carry through our undertaking for Romania to become a democratic country, a country where civil freedoms and rights are observed. We expect all those wishing to live in a free country, in a country with no more institutions subject to terror, in a country where an illegal structure is a parasite on the state institutions, a parasite on decision-making, to come to the rally.”

So, the theme of the rally is again justice. The Social-Democrats will target the so-called “parallel state”, an alleged illegal, underground entity, where according to the PSD and its partner ALDE, politicians, prosecutors and secret services allegedly collaborate to compromise those they find undesirable through public intoxication, fake abuses and files. In another development, Liviu Dragnea says there is no connection between the June 9 rally and the sentence which the PSD’s leader, who has already got a suspension of conviction for attempted electoral fraud, might get for abuse of office on the eve of the rally. The National Liberal Party in opposition also plans to take action to get backing for the no-confidence motion they want to file against the government. The president of the National Liberal Party, Ludovic Orban:

“We will surely call on all Romanian citizens who are fed up with the PSD and who realize that the PSD mocks Romania and compromises the chances of each Romanian to have a better life. We will call on them to take part in the protests along with our members and supporters.”

The Liberals believe that their initiative related to the motion of no confidence might be successful given that certain PSD members have left the party because of Dragnea’s authoritarian attitude and the party running the risk of collapsing under the latter’s leadership. The former PSD members joined the party of the former Social-Democrat leader and Prime Minister Victor Ponta. A constitutional crisis might dangerously occur against that complicated political background. Notified by the Justice Minister, the Constitutional Court demands that president Klaus Iohannis dismiss the head of the National Anti-Corruption Directorate, Laura Codruta Kovesi. Pending the publication of the motivation behind a decision which many find unexplainable and which is unlike previous rulings through its imperative tone, tension is mounting as well as fears about the fate of justice and the fight against corruption, which analysts believe are legitimate.

(Translated by A.M. Palcu)