PM Ponta defends his deputy Dragnea in 2012 referendum trial

Prime Minister Victor Ponta says his deputy Liviu Dragnea did not act alone and breached no law in the 2012 referendum to discharge the then President Traian Basescu.

Photo credit: (c) Silviu MATEI / AGERPRES PHOTO

Upon leaving the High Court of Cassation and Justice (Romania's Supreme Court) on Wednesday, after testifying in Dragnea's trial for frauds to secure the quorum at the referendum, Ponta asserted that the vice prime minister only had the 'bad luck' of not being also a member of the Parliament. According to Ponta, the decision of impeaching Basescu was taken by all the leaders of the Social Liberal Union (USL), the former governmental coalition of Social Democrats and Liberals.

"Had I had the opportunity of telling the prosecutor what I said today, there would probably been no case at all. I thank the court for allowing us this. I told the truth and nothing but the truth, namely that the political decisions on impeaching President Basescu and the referendum were political decisions and of course, if we did the right thing, people would vote for us; if we were wrong, people would vote for others. But there was no breach of the law, never, in any way. In a democratic country, one is not punished as a criminal for taking political decisions," Ponta told media upon leaving the court.

He insisted that he testified to the effect that all the political decisions concerning the impeachment were taken by the USL leadership.

"I think none of those who voted in the referendum should be punished for this. The political decision of impeaching President Traian Basescu, which I still consider a right decision, was a political decision. The Criminal Code does not prohibit taking political decisions about participating in the...