Romania’s PSD asks European Parliament to examine PNL statements on the judiciary

Romania’s Social Democratic Party has taken its dispute with the National Liberal Party to the European Parliament, asking the LIBE committee to examine recent PNL statements about the country’s judiciary.

The PSD representative on the European Parliament’s Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs notified the committee’s president and coordinators on Thursday, July 2. The party said it wants the issue considered within the European rule-of-law dialogue, potentially through a LIBE debate or the Democracy, Rule of Law and Fundamental Rights Monitoring Group.

PSD said it was not asking the European Parliament to intervene in cases pending before Romanian courts. Instead, it wants European scrutiny of statements by PNL representatives that it believes could undermine the independence of the judicial system. The social democrats cited the reaction of Romania’s Superior Council of Magistracy, which warned that such attacks could weaken public trust in justice.

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The Social Democratic Party delegation in the European Parliament expresses concern about the PNL’s attacks against Romania’s judicial system.

The PSD delegation said court decisions can be challenged only through legal avenues, not by moving disputes into the public arena in ways that could pressure judges. It also acknowledged that individuals and political parties have the right to use every legal means to challenge a ruling and seek institutional clarification. But it said public pressure on magistrates, attacks on the legitimacy of courts and attempts to discredit the judiciary before legal procedures end are incompatible with judicial independence, separation of powers and the rule of law.

The dispute follows a Bucharest Tribunal decision that temporarily suspended the execution and effects of a June 19 resolution by the PNL’s extraordinary national council, which had set the convening of a congress. The article says the Liberals contest how the case was assigned.

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Public pressure on magistrates, questioning the legitimacy of courts or attempts to discredit justice before legal procedures are exhausted are incompatible with the principles of judicial independence, separation of powers and the rule of law.