Government plans to legalise corruption
Romania
The Romanian government is planning to use emergency ordinance measures to allow officials convicted of corruption to escape their sentences. Romania, which holds the rotating presidency of the EU Council, must immediately halt any attempts to provide amnesty for corruption offences, according to the Group/EFA group.
The Greens/EFA group has written to the European Commission demanding that the Commission takes action to defend the rule of law in the country.
The President of the Greens/EFA group in the European Parliament and lead candidate of the European Green Party for the European elections, Ska Keller, reacts:
"It is an absolutely abhorrent mockery of justice to change the law just to free your corrupt friends from their criminal convictions. The Romanian government is trying to legalise corruption for politicians so members of the PSD party can get away with stealing from the Romanian people. It’s a shame, particularly for the country that is currently holding the Presidency of the European Union. This attempt to subvert the rule of law has no place in Europe and tramples all over the EU treaties.”
Greens/EFA President Philippe Lamberts adds:
"If this emergency ordinance goes ahead then the European Commission must take immediate action to protect the rule of law in Romania. Both the S&D and ALDE groups need to have serious conversations with the Romanian colleagues in their political groups and decide if they really want to keep supporting such brazenly corrupt behaviour."
Questions to the European Commission: Romanian Government stated intention to issue an Emegency Ordinance on creating a legal path for reopening closed cases of corruption"
