Hundreds of thousands of Romanians have taken to the streets to protest the actions of the Grindeanu Government – the overnight, furtive modifications, despite and against any and all points of view within the judiciary, of the criminal codes – that took place on the night of January 31st/February 1st 2017.
If we accept this type of behaviour from one of the state powers – the executive –, we are accepting that Romania is no longer a country where rule of law prevails, and that ordinary citizens will no longer be protected by the law.
We request that Mr. Sorin Grindeanu take responsibility as prime-minister of the Romanian Government and repeal Emergency Ordinance 13/2017.
We also request that the Minister of the Interior take action to guarantee the safety of Romanian citizens protesting peacefully and we deem Ms. Carmen Dan’s statements regarding journalists and opinion makers as attempts to intimidate and attacks on the freedom of expression that the Romanian Constitution guarantees.
Through concrete, reparatory and urgent action, the Grindeanu Government has to demonstrate, not only to Romanian society, but also to the country’s strategic partners, that it remains fully committed to the values of the Euro-Atlantic community that Romania is part of: rule of law, democracy, freedom, genuine dialogue, checks and balances and separation of powers.
Freedom House România
Expert Forum
Centrul Român de Politici Europene
Grupul pentru Dialog Social