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EU urges Romania's Ponta to clear 'doubts' on rule of law

17 September 2012, 21:50 CET
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(BRUSSELS) - European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso on Monday called on Romanian Prime Minister Victor Ponta to "remove all doubts" on his government's commitment to judicial independence.

Romania has been in turmoil since the centre-left government coalition led by Ponta tried to remove the country's President Traian Basescu, a centre-right politician, in July.

Following talks with Ponta in Brussels, three days after Basescu visited the headquarters of the EU executive, Barroso "expressed the same concerns to Prime Minister Ponta as he had last week to President Basescu".

Romania has to "remove all doubts on its commitment to the rule of law, the independence of the judiciary and the respect for constitutional rulings," Barroso said according to a statement released by his office.

Both the government and opposition, with elections due in December, should "act with responsibility and restraint," Barroso said, and "set their focus very firmly on the urgent need to restore institutional and political stability."

A referendum on Basescu's ousting failed as voter turnout fell short of the required 50 percent, with both sides manoeuvring for advantage in the aftermath amid widespread concern that the rule of law was under threat.

Basescu was reinstated after a decision by Romania's Constitutional Court in August, and earlier this month he claimed that the country's democratic institutions had proved to be solid through the crisis.

The Commission is due to report in December on the state of the Romanian judiciary, the rule of law and the fight against corruption.


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