PNL: Cost for Romania of EC's position is serious damage of country's image at European, int'l level

The cost for Romania of the official stance of the European Commission's President Jean Claude Juncker and First Vice President Frans Timmermans, regarding the amendment of the laws of justice is "serious damage of our country's image at European and international level," says a National Liberal Party (PNL)'s release on Wednesday. 

"Despite efforts of the leaders of the PSD-ALDE (Social Democratic Party-Alliance of Liberals and Democrats, ed. n.) Liviu Dragnea and Calin Popescu-Tariceanu, to cosmeticize in various ways the legislative actions targeting the independence of Justice in Romania, the European Commission took position at its highest level proving it was not misled by the manipulation campaigns in the country. The cost for Romania of this official stance of the European Commission's President Jean Claude Juncker and First Vice President Frans Timmermans, is our country's image serious damage at European and international level. But this is the position they were forced to by the Dragnea - Tariceanu group," the PNL release reads. 

The liberals add that in fact Romania "was cornered by the European Union because of the Bucharest irresponsible politicians who unscrupulously insist to pursue a personal agenda with the goal to solve their criminal issues on a different path than the one of the courts of justice." 

"Moreover, Romania is risking financial sanctions, by losing EU funds, and of political nature, too, by having suspended its right to vote in the European Council if the parliamentary majority keeps on with these toxic steps that are denying the principle of equality before the law," the source adds. 

The PNL makes an appeal to the PSD, ALDE and UDMR (Hungarian Democrat Union of Romania, ed. n.) MPs to reconsider their position "at the eleventh hour." 

"Nobody in the EU will accept a country's whole judiciary's compromising for the sake of some leaders who have problems with justice," the release concludes.

Agerpres