CORRUPTION: Reformist Minister Under Fire in Romania

By Claudia Ciobanu Reprint | | Print |

Claudia Ciobanu

BUCHAREST, Mar 15 2007 (IPS) - Romanian civil society leaders are worried by a new attack on a minister battling corruption.

Government leaders have launched fresh condemnation of the minister who has upset both government and opposition leaders by investigating scandals across the political divide.

It is civil society that is now leading a campaign in support of her.

A rally took place in Piata Universitatii, in the centre of Bucharest Feb. 27. At the call of six civil society organisations, people took to the streets to show their support for minister of justice Monica Macovei and the anti-corruption strategy she is promoting.

The demonstration happened two weeks after the Romanian Senate passed a simple motion accusing Macovei of blocking reform of the justice system.

Monica Macovei, 48, became Romania’s Minister of Justice in the fall of 2004 with the coming to power of a centre-right governing coalition.

Well respected internationally, Macovei also enjoys a wide degree of sympathy among Romanians who see in her, contrary to the motion passed, the main engine of the justice reform.

Romania, a country of 22 million, joined the EU Jan. 1, 2007. Its government was warned that the fight against corruption and for justice reform must continue, or other European countries might not recognise the warrants issued by Romanian courts. That would effectively turn the post-communist country into a second rate member of the union.

Although it was opposition Social Democrats (PSDR) along with the extreme right Greater Romania Party (PRM) that initiated the anti-Macovei simple motion, the text was also voted by members of the current governing coalition made up of the Liberal and Democratic Parties and the Hungarian Party. Therefore, the vote was not merely a routine attack from the opposition against the government, but a blow against the minister herself.

Immediately after the Romanian Senate passed the motion, European Commissioner for Justice Franco Frattini declared that he “confirms his full-hearted appreciation of Minister Macovei.”

Susanne Kastner, vice-president of the Bundestag, the lower chamber of the German Parliament, warned Romania that the motion might be interpreted by the EU as an attempt to stifle justice reform.

Transparency International Romania condemned the anti-Macovei motion, stating that the text voted by the Senate is “written in a superficial manner and motivated by political reasons, ignoring the principle of independence of judiciary.”

Macovei responded firmly to the motion. “Romania does have a strategy of justice reform and anti-corruption fight. Otherwise, we would not be in the EU today,” she said in her response to the parliament motion.

“Very important in the fight against corruption were the achievements of the National Anti-Corruption Directorate DNA over the past two years,” she said. “Over the past year, 360 people were sent to trial, among them one minister, two secretaries of state, seven members of parliament, two local council presidents and one vice-president, over 50 policemen, numerous judges and prosecutors, mayors and tax inspectors.”

Among the more prominent officials prosecuted for corruption over the past two years are former prime minister and leader of the PSDR Adrian Nastase, former minister for European Integration Hildegard Puwak and former secretary general of the government Petru Serban Mihailescu. The last two are also members of PSDR.

State prosecutors also investigated members of other parties, one of the most publicised cases being that of Dinu Patriciu, president of the national oil company Rompetrol and member of the ruling Liberal Party, who was accused of money laundering. Prime Minister Calin Popescu-Tariceanu is from the Liberal party.

The Constitutional Court, consulted over the question whether Macovei resign as a result of the motion, decided that it was ultimately up to the Prime Minister.

Given that Tariceanu and President Traian Basescu have been engaged in a serious confrontation for the past few months and that Macovei is considered Basescu’s protege, the Court’s decision raised fears that Macovei would be asked to step down.

Tariceanu did not ask the minister to resign. But the minister’s position remains threatened, leading civil society organisations to organise public shows of support for Macovei.

“Although the Constitutional Court asserted the non-binding character of the Senate motion over the resignation of Macovei from the government, the pressure on her remains high and it is probable that any pretext will be sought to get rid of her,” Alexandru Lazescu, member of the Group for Social Dialogue (GDS), one of the organisers of the rally told IPS. “Support from outside the political spectrum is therefore needed in order to consolidate her position.”

On Mar. 14, in the midst of discussions about the restructuring of the government, Prime Minister Tariceanu accused Macovei of not showing solidarity with the other ministers. Government secretary general Radu Stroe said he is considering asking for Macovei’s resignation.

In a statement to the press the same day, Macovei said she expected to be removed. She added that it is very likely that parliament would replace the current Criminal Code with an older one, issued in 2004 by the Social-Democrat government led by Adrian Nastase.

“The main effect of this code – a disastrous one – will be that criminal justice will be blocked and the criminal trials and investigations taking place at the moment will be interrupted,” the minister stated.

Among the interrupted investigations could be those of colleagues, friends and family members of some of the initiators of the motion against Macovei.