PNL's Orban: Hearing of Toader, Dan in EP reveal Government's tremendous credibility issue

Chairman of National Liberal Party (PNL) Ludovic Orban is critical of Minister of Interior Carmen Dan and Justice Minister Tudorel Toader's hearings in the European Parliament, saying that their statements have embarrassed Romania.

"Tudorel Toader and Carmen Dan have embarrassed Romania in the European Parliament. (...) The hearing of the two ministers revealed the tremendous credibility issue of the current Government at the level of the European Union," says Orban in a press release issued on Wednesday for AGERPRES.

He points out that Tudorel Toader has refused to make a commitment not to initiate further amendments to the legislation in the field of justice and the criminal field without having previously received the Venice Commission's advice after express request to do so. Orban also states that the Minister of Justice has in no way explained his position on the CVM Report, preferring instead to "lie" on the implementation of the recommendations of the Venice Commission in the Romanian legislation.

"Today's hearing of the Minister of Justice will cause serious damage to Romania at the level of the European Union, which will be even greater in the context of Romania's holding the Presidency of the EU Council," says the PNL leader.

Ludovic Orban also criticizes the statements of the Minister of the Interior regarding the accession to the Schengen area.
 
"Carmen Dan announced, shockingly, that Romania refuses to take the following steps for joining the Schengen Area, respectively to request the evaluation of the correct application of the acquis communautaire. Basically, the Romanian Government announces on its own blocking the accession to Schengen, 'now or in the future.' For imposture and hypocrisy to be complete, the Minister of the Interior argued that Romania aims to lift the CVM, while the Minister of Justice did not say a word, given that the Government and the PSD-ALDE majority not only did they not follow any of the recommendations of the latest CVM Report, but they acted exactly against them!," stresses the leader of the Liberals.

He said that "the only way Romania must follow to be respected in the European Union, for the Cooperation and Verification Mechanism be lifted, and to join the Schengen Area is that these people sent to represent the country in Brussels understand that they cannot lie to European officials and must respect fully and to the letter the recommendations of the Venice Commission, of the European Commission through the CVM Report and of the European Parliament in the Resolution adopted in November 2018."

"Otherwise, Romania will become increasingly marginalized in the European Union and will be deprived of the chance to capitalize on the benefits of the EU membership, at the risk of having blocked or reduced the funds necessary for the development and balancing of the welfare at the level of the other member states, concludes Ludovic Orban. AGERPRES (RO - author: Florentina Peia, editor: Florin Marin; EN - author: Bogdan Gabaroi; editor: Simona Iacob)