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In Brussels on Thursday, national leader of the Save Romania Union (USR) Catalin Drula met European Commissioner for Justice Didier Reynders, told Agerpres.
The subject of discussion concerned what Drula called the "slippages" of the Social Democratic Party - National Liberal Party (PSD-PNL) regime towards "illiberalism and the harmful influence" of politics in justice.
In a press statement released by USR, Drula is quoted as having said at the end of the meeting that Romania is at "a turning point" in its post-1989 evolution.
"We cannot allow Marcel Ciolacu, Nicolae Ciuca and Klaus Iohannis to seize justice and para-judicial research bodies in order to undermine democracy and our freedoms. The authoritarian tendencies are already too many and too obvious. The protection enjoyed by Ciuca and Bode in the investigation of proven plagiarism, the way tenders are rigged on European money or controversial judicial appointments and promotions - all these are bad omens for the rule of law. The way civil society and transparency are attacked by PSD and PNL is unacceptable in a member country of the European Union," said Drula.
He added that "they are sorely mistaken" who have imagined that with the lifting of the Co-operation and Verification Mechanism (CVM) there would be no more monitoring. Thus, the Rule of Law mechanism is "even stricter and will directly condition" European funds.
"Just as Ciolacu is now sacrificing billions of euros to preserve Ciuca's special pension, we are also at risk of losing European money due to threats to the rule of law," USR said.
