“The Commission is concerned about current developments in Romania, especially regarding actions that appear to reduce the effective powers of independent institutions like the Constitutional Court,” the Brussels-based body said in a short memo.
“The rule of law, the democratic checks and balances and the independence of the judiciary are cornerstones of the European democracy and indispensable for mutual trust within the European Union,” it added.
What started as a political squabble between Romanian Prime Minister Victor Ponta and President Traian Basescu has turned earlier this week into a power grab by the ruling socialist-liberal coalition led by Ponta.
The Coalition launched impeachment procedures against Basescu, amending legislation so that the President can be ousted with a simple majority of votes. The government has also taken measures to limit the powers of the Constitutional Court and has replaced the democrat-liberal presidents of the two chambers of parliament. A vote on Basescu’s impeachment request is due later Friday.
“The Commission already looks at judicial reform and anti-corruption measures in the context of the Cooperation and Verification Mechanism. It is currently finalizing a report summarizing five years of work to address these issues in Romania. Recent developments may be putting at risk the progress made over the years,” the Commission said in its memo.
The President of the Commission, Jose Manuel Barroso, spoke with Prime Minister Ponta earlier Friday and expressed the Commission’s concerns, the memo noted.
“Prime Minister Ponta will come to Brussels next Thursday to meet President Barroso to discuss these issues.”