Brussels, le 10/07/2012 (Agence Europe) - The press services of the president of the European Parliament (EP) indicated that Romanian Prime Minister Victor Ponta will have a meeting with EP President Martin Schulz in Brussels late on Wednesday afternoon 11 July. Ponta will meet European Commission President José Manuel Barroso the following day, Barroso's spokesperson Pia Ahrenkilde Hansen confirmed on 10 July,
The Romanian prime minister will be asked about the political situation in his country, where a procedure to oust President Traian Basescu is being pursued. This procedure was confirmed on Monday 9 July by the Romanian Constitutional Court. The Commission still has concerns regarding the, “swiftness and consequences of the decisions taken over recent weeks” and is expecting a number of clarifications from the prime minister, said Ahrenkilde Hansen. She added that “we still have a lot of questions regarding respect for the independence of the Constitutional Court and the judiciary”, whilst taking note of the decision made by the Romanian Court on 9 July, validating the vote by the national parliament on the procedure to remove Basescu. Schulz will remind Ponta that the EP is keeping a close eye on events in Romania, events which resemble a political struggle of surprising intensity, he said in a press release. He also said that the Commission should take immediate action if violations to European standards are observed. The leader of the Socialists and Democrats in the EP, Hannes Swoboda (Austria), a member of the same Centre-Left political family as Ponta, said in a press release that he had written to Barroso, urging him to ensure the European Commission proceeds swiftly with an objective analysis of the situation in Romania and the events which have led to the present crisis. (SP/transl.fl)