Liberal head on embassies' letter regarding criminal law: Sounds alarm of unprecedented gravity

The letter of the 12 ambassadors on criminal legislation triggers an alarm signal of never seen before gravity, Chairman of the National Liberal Party (PNL) Ludovic Orban said on Thursday. 

"The letter of the ambassadors of the 12 states, addressed to all the parties involved in the enforcement process of the Criminal Code and the Criminal Procedure Code, sounds an alarm signal of unprecedented gravity. This adds to the stance expressed by the Group of States against Corruption (GRECO), to the worsening of the report under the Cooperation and Verification Mechanism, to the position clearly expressed by the Department of State, and to the public positions expressed by all European officials. The current ruling majority, seeking to save their colleagues accused of corruption, who have either been sentenced or who are about to be sentenced, threatens to seriously affect Romania's fundamental interests and create multiple disadvantages for the Romanian citizens. It is clear that all civilized nations, our partners are calling on those who hold the parliamentary majority to not put at jeopardy the fight against corruption, the fight against crime, the independence of the judiciary, the functioning of a normal rule of law in a democracy," Orban said at the Palace of Parliament. 

According to the Liberal leader, "the pact of the codes struck among the current PSD, ALDE, UDMR leaders is deaf, hears nothing, lives in a sort of desperation where they do not care for the interests of Romanians and push through these acts of unprecedented gravity" regarding the laws of justice, the amendment of the Criminal Code and of the Criminal Procedure Code. 

"The interests of the Romanian citizens are seriously affected, the Schengen accession project is being sabotaged, we risk - if the conditionality linking the rule of law to the allocation of European funds is adopted - to lose important European non-reimbursable funds, just because of the current majority's systematically acting against the independence of the judiciary and against the normal functioning of the judiciary, and of what is specific for the rule of law in a democratic state. We summon them to stop. (...) Otherwise, the path you are taking Romania to could be a way from where return could be far more difficult. (...) You have already embarrassed Romania. You have already created serious disagreements and disturbances in society, you have already caused dysfunctions of the judiciary and the justice system," Orban said. 

In conclusion, the PNL Chairman once again urges the parliamentary majority to stop the procedures for the adoption of the Criminal Code until the Venice Commission expresses a point of view on the planned changes. 

"The letter of the 12 ambassadors contains a clear reference as to what they consider important for Romanian legislation on justice to be in line with European standards, asking that the advice of GRECO independent experts and of independent experts of the Venice Commission be sought. We also request the Constitutional Court to postpone the ruling on the PNL notification against the Criminal Procedure Code until the Venice Commission issues an opinion following the referral opened today by the Monitoring Committee of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe, this is urgent," said Ludovic Orban. 

The US, Belgium, Canada, Denmark, Switzerland, Finland, France, Germany, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Norway and Sweden, Romania's "international partners and allies" called on Thursday "on all parties involved in amending Romania's criminal and criminal procedure codes to avoid changes that would weaken the rule of law or Romania's ability to fight crime or corruption. Romania has shown considerable progress in combating corruption and building effective rule of law. We encourage Romanians to continue on this path," reads the message of the twelve states.