Speaker Dragnea about Strasbourg debate on Romania's justice legislation: We have seen lots of lies

Speaker of the Chamber of Deputies and national leader of the Social Democratic Party (PSD) Liviu Dragnea said on Friday that at the debate on Romania's justice legislation that took place in Strasbourg days before "lots of lies" were said even by the Romanian MEPs, while other MEPs explained the truth about Romania. 

He pointed out that Prime Minister Viorica Dancila did not receive an invitation to the debate, adding that it had been expected that Justice Minister Tudorel Toader would not have been allowed to address the plenary session of the European Parliament. 

"It should have been expected that he would not be allowed to take the floor. I have heard all kinds of explanations that it was no procedural, that he could not speak. Had there been the German justice minister instead, would he have not been allowed to speak? Would they have kept him in the room without giving him the microphone when they were talking about Romanian justice? I saw lots of lies coming from Romanian MEPs, who got there by the vote of Romanians, who lied shamelessly. I also saw good patriot Romanian MEPs, with courage and with great rigour actually explaining the truth there is in Romania. I also saw MEPs from other countries supporting this point of view. I believe that what they thought and wanted to mount these liars in the European Parliament has turned against them," Dragnea said at the Parliament House. 

In his opinion, the issue was that the prime minister did not go to the debate. "Why was the minister of justice allowed to speak? They were talking about justice," said Dragnea. 

Justice Minister Tudorel Toader said in Strasbourg on Wednesday evening that he was not pleased with the European Parliament's plenary debate on amendments to the Romanian justice legislation, saying that "discussions were held in a politicking manner" and also that European Commissioner for Justice Vera Jourva's statements "were probably not hers."

AGERPRES