Criticised by several members of the European Economic and Social Committee (EESC), Viorica Dăncilă, the Romanian Prime Minister, said on Thursday 24 January that there was no rule of law problem in his country and that the criticism was linked to misinformation.
"In Romania, the rule of law is respected and human rights must be respected. There is a lot of misinformation; the government has never intervened before the courts," she explained during a debate on the priorities of the Romanian Presidency of the Council of the EU. “This is a problem to be taken into account, fake news, bad information. This can lead to a misunderstanding about a state or government, as is the case for Romania and the Romanian government," the Prime Minister added.
Several EESC members had previously criticised the situation in Romania. According to the President of the European Civic Forum and Civil Society Europe, Jean-Marc Roirant, a number of Romanian members of the Forum expressed concern, among other things, about a proposed legislation punishing those who denigrate national values or the draft law in Parliament that could affect the functioning of NGOs.
José Antonio Moreno Díaz called for respect for civil society, "oxygen for democratic coexistence”. He listed five complaints received in Romania: government interference in the judiciary, the drafting of legislation through emergency procedures that prevent civil society from participating, changes in the Romanian Economic and Social Council, attacks on civil society organisations and, finally, the need for more transparency in the fight against corruption. (Original version in French by Camille-Cerise Gessant)