Iohannis reasserts rule of law, rebukes former president Basescu for "mafia state" allegations

President Klaus Iohannis assures the rule of law is functional in Romania and says labels like "Mafia state" could harm the country's international image.

"In Romania, the rule of law is functional, and declarations of prosecuted or indicted people questioning or denying it lack credibility. I trust the work of the state's institutions, and I am waiting alongside the whole public opinion for the positive effects of this work. Moreover, labels like 'Mafia state' could damage Romania's image in the world; they could result in making some institutions less credible, and not the least, they prove the incapability of some individuals who hold or have held important public offices in the Romanian state to assume the role for which they have been appointed or elected," the president is quoted in a statement sent to Agerpres by the Presidential Administration.

Iohannis reacted to Senate Speaker Calin Popescu-Tariceanu's demand to officially check the truth of allegations of former president Traian Basescu (now head of the People's Movement Party). Basescu had claimed that Romania has turned into a Mafia state.