JusMin Tudorel Toader on EP debate: Discussions held in politicking manner

Minister of Justice Tudorel Toader on Wednesday evening stated in Strasbourg that he was not pleased with how the debate went in the plenum of the European Parliament regarding the modifications of justice laws in Romania, saying that "discussions were held in a politicking manner" and also that European Commissioner for Justice Vera Jourva's statements "were probably not hers." 

"How can I be pleased when everybody could see with their own eyes (...) the fact that it was politicking that dominated the debate, with the legal content just a mere pretext. (...) Some of the MEPs spoke about the justice laws without knowing anything about the content of the respective laws," said Toader, adding that he will make "an inventory of the untruths that were told" at the debate in the European Parliament. 

He also stated that he was "firmly convinced nobody wanted to find out the truth," while also accusing the fact that the leadership of the European Parliament denied him a speech. 

"It was a state of confusion that was induced from the very start, for the pretext of the debate today was the bill on modification of justice laws, but instead they talked about corruption. Or - and the speakers should have known this - the rule is that when you don't know what you're talking about, it is better you just shut up, for thus you cannot be wrong," said the Minister of Justice. 

"I am convinced that this was no more than politicking, with a legal pretext to the core of which the speakers did not want to reach. For many speakers know nothing about and they don't want to know about the justice laws in Romania, probably they aren't even interested," said him. 

Toader also said that Vera Jourova, the European Commissioner for Justice, who spoke at the debate on behalf of the European Commission, "knows the justice system in Romania, but her statements were not in fact hers, for otherwise I believe it was impossible for her to make such statements." 

Vera Jourova reiterated on Wednesday, at the plenary sitting of the European Parliament in Strasbourg, the European Commission's appeal to the Romanian Parliament to open the debate on the modification of justice laws in line to the recommendations from Brussels and to obtain a consensus on such laws, and she also said that the community Executive shares the people's concerns who took it to the streets protesting against modifications to the justice laws.

Agerpres