Europe tries to fix Romania’s political crisis

The European Parliament debated last week the aftermath of the political crisis that engulfed Romania this summer, which culminated in the suspension of President Traian Basescu and his return to office after two months following a failed impeachment referendum.

The European Commission reacted after witnessing a series of moves by the Romanian authorities, which impacted the rule of law, democratic checks and balances and the independence of the judiciary, said Viviane Reding, the EU Commissioner for Justice, Citizenship and Fundamental Rights.

The commissioner highlighted that laws and emergency decrees were passed swiftly in Romania, some of which aimed to limit the powers of the Constitutional Court, a key institution in the skirmish between Brussels’ top brass and the Romanian PM Victor Ponta.

EU representatives strongly advised Romania’s politicians to respect the decisions of the Constitutional Court. PM Ponta and the justice minister, Titus Corlatean, were summoned to Brussels to convince the European leader that Romania abides by democratic practices and respects the independence of the judiciary. The president of the European Commission, Jose Manuel Barroso, seeking a clearer picture of the political stalemate in Romania, asked PM Ponta to answer 11 questions on domestic political developments. “The Romanian authorities addressed some of our concerns, and in particular restored the constitutional norm in the run-up to the impeachment referendum,” said Reding.

However, she warned the situation is Romania remains fragile and further EU support is needed. “The commission will continue to closely monitor the situation in Romania,” stated Reding.

The political crisis in Romania sparked a heated debate in the European Parliament. Daniel van der Stoep, a Dutch independent MEP, said “the political soap” made Romania look like a “banana republic”, adding that the EU should stay out of internal struggles.

Graham Watson, a member of the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe, said that Romania provided a case study of the trials of transition from communism, stressing that the country hasn’t shaken off all the corruption of this period.