03/05/2007 (Agence Europe) - In an open letter to EU heads of state and government on 3 May, the leader of the Party of European Socialists (PES), Poul Nyrup Rasmussen, expresses his concern over “worrying developments for democracy” in Romania and Poland. According to the PES, President Basescu of Romania, in his actions against the parliament, which he suspended on 19 April, “is attempting to undermine the legitimacy of the Romanian parliament and, therefore, Romania's representative democracy”. The PES is also concerned about the “de-communisation” in Poland and the “illegitimate” lustration law, which requires politicians, prosecutors and Polish intellectuals to reveal whether or not they collaborated with the previous Communist regime. “This law raises very serious questions concerning the respect of freedom of speech, media freedom, (and) the protection of human dignity,” Mr Rasmussen says, and he salutes the courage of Bronislaw Geremek, who has refused to sign such a declaration for a second time. The letter ends with an appeal to EU leaders to condemn these developments and to remind Polish and Romanian authorities that they must ensure strict observance and implementation of democratic rules and the rule of law, and of the EU's founding principles. (hb)