when he says that in a democracy one power is not allowed to encroach on the powers of the other. <\/b>The obvious, but this was not something that was learned in Ceausescu’s Romania.<\/p>\nThat is why, moreover, the subsequently repentant President Basescu was indifferent to the separation of powers. It was recently reiterated by President Dan, in whose defence the well-known journalist rushed to his defence. As the journalist Chiotaku said, those who want “once again both handcuffs and power, the heirs of the Koldea-Kovesi duo, are nostalgic for the “horror times, when arrests were made by list and convictions were issued directly from the Dubrava yellow files. <\/b>They want to hold the buttons again. And they don’t want to surrender. The struggle continues…” (ed: Koldea was the head of the Romanian secret services and Dubrava was his deputy).<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, many members of the USR (Save Romania) party,<\/b> which he had founded, have also turned against Nikusor Dan. They agree that the choice of the heads of the Directorate for the Investigation of Organised Crime and Terrorism (DIICOT), the National Anti-Corruption Directorate (DNA) and the Supreme Court of Cassation and Justice (\u00ceCCJ) is controversial.<\/p>\n“Respect the mandate you received!<\/b><\/h2>\n
On April 17, 25 citizens’ associations, in an open letter to the president, under the title “Respect the mandate you received from the people”,<\/b> accused him of seriously breaking his campaign promises and distancing himself from the electorate that supported him.<\/p>\n
The signatories declare themselves “deeply concerned about the direction in which you have chosen to exercise your mandate”,<\/b> arguing that promises of a functioning state and an independent judiciary have not been kept.<\/p>\n
“Today, almost a year after you took office, we are forced to conclude not only that these goals have not been achieved, but that your actions continue to support the old status quo. You have chosen to respond to criticism not with arguments, but with arrogance,<\/b> the long letter reads.<\/p>\n
Already, former judges underline the risk of politicization of the judiciary,<\/b> adding that appointments should be strictly based on objective criteria.<\/p>\n
However, in Romania, as we have written before, the complaints, in December 2025, 813 judges (out of 7.000) who signed a joint letter – with Laura Covesi<\/b> being the first to sign it, although she is a serving European prosecutor – protesting interference in their work, has caused a wave of protests in the country.<\/b><\/p>\n
Later, many withdrew their names, claiming that the original text of support for two of their colleagues, who spoke in a documentary on the news platform Recorder, had been altered (and thus attempted to be instrumentalised<\/b>).<\/p>\n
The documentary described a possible collusion between political power and the heads of the judiciary<\/b>. The former would offer legislative advantages, including special pensions, and the judges would offer protection through various legal solutions.<\/p>\nConflict and a referendum on the judiciary<\/b><\/h2>\n
At the time, President Nikusor Dan had met the judges and promised to cut the Gordian knot by announcing a referendum on the judiciary.<\/b><\/p>\n
Now, many are wondering whether holding the referendum makes sense, since the appointments at the top of the most important prosecutor’s offices were made without the approval of the Supreme Judicial Council.<\/p>\n
Dan replies that the referendum will take place in about a month, as prosecutors are only one part of the judicial system.<\/b><\/p>\n
The situation in Romania, which has now reached a government crisis, is explosive. And the sequence of events shows that in the country the judiciary has had problems – as in many countries – but the source of the evil lies in the era when the judiciary focused on prosecuting political figures,<\/b>giving the impression that some judges are choosing sides.<\/p>\n
A typical example is the April 16 interview President Nikusor Dan gave to Europa Fm. In particular, he was also asked about the future of Ms. Covesi after the end of her term as European Public Prosecutor.<\/p>\n
Mr. Dan spoke in praise of Ms. Covessi and to the remark that there were allegations that there were abuses during her time in Romania as head of the DNA, he replied that these needed to be substantiated.<\/p>\n
In particular, he said that Ms. Covessi had accumulated knowledge and experience from the positions she had held, adding sibilantly: “Let’s see how she wants to use them.”<\/b><\/p>\n
Not long ago, when the same man was asked if Ms. Covessi would return to the country in a high office, President Dan had burst out laughing and ruled out any such possibility.<\/p>\n
When Socialist leader Dragnea was in jail<\/b><\/h2>\n
In the midst of this grim backdrop<\/b> (no doubt brought about by the constant attempts to abolish the separation of powers – sometimes by one side and sometimes by the other), the trial of former deputy prime minister and Socialist Party leader Livius Dragnea, who in May 2019 was sentenced to 3.5 years in prison without parole for embezzling public funds, is also underway. This followed a major defeat for the Social Democratic Party in the European elections. In July 2021, Dragnea was released on parole.<\/b><\/p>\n
Meanwhile, a year later the National Anti-Corruption Agency (DNA) referred Dragnea to another case, the Tel Drum case. Dagnea is accused of constituting a criminal group, abuse of power and other felonies.<\/b><\/p>\n
The investigation was opened by OLAF on June 26, 2020, and the case file exceeds 1,400 pages.<\/p>\n
The defendants along with Dragnea were eight other people, officials of the Telehorman County Council and executives of the Tel Drum company.<\/p>\n
According to the indictment, the construction company, which was privatised in the early 2000s when Dragnea was chairman of the County Council, received millions of euros and won most of the tenders it took part in, with an estimated loss to the European budget of more than 100 million lei. He even continued to win the tenders during Dragnea’s imprisonment (for 2 years and 2 months).<\/p>\n
Trial interrupted due to surveillance<\/b><\/h3>\n
The case was reopened when an illegal surveillance,<\/b> which led to the trial being interrupted. Defence lawyers pointed out that the anti-corruption agency and the secret services had cooperated in the case.<\/p>\n
During the period when Dragnea led the Socialist Party (2016-2019), the Constitutional Court had issued a series of rulings that led to the exclusion of the secret services from investigating corruption cases.<\/b><\/p>\n
Until 2016, in Romania, phone tapping was carried out under orders issued by prosecutors under special legislation, because corruption crimes were considered a threat to national security<\/b> and were included in the National Defence Strategy.<\/p>\n
After 2016, intelligence agencies began to be excluded, as it was deemed unconstitutional for national security surveillance to be used as evidence in criminal trials.<\/b><\/p>\nCooperation government collapses again<\/b><\/h3>\n
Meanwhile, the general crisis has led to the destabilisation of the cooperation government<\/b>, which in Romania was achieved after much hardship and many adventures.<\/p>\n
In the parliamentary elections of 1 December 2024, three ultra-nationalist, pro-Russian, far-right parties had secured nearly 35% of the seats. This was the reason why four parties [the leading Social Democratic Party (PSD), the Liberals of the National Liberal Party (PNL), the Save Romania Union (USR) and the Democratic Alliance of Magyars (UDMR), representing the Hungarian minority] agreed to form a coalition government. With socialist Marcel Ciolakou (again) as prime minister, who resigned in May 2025.<\/p>\n
It is worth noting that the same parties had also formed a government in 2021<\/b>, but it too fell in 2023 due to disagreements that led the Hungarian party out of government.<\/p>\n
It’s also worth remembering that the November 2024 presidential election was annulled by the Constitutional Court as it was deemed<\/b> to have been<\/b> Russian interference. <\/b>At the time, the almost unknown pro-Russian far-right candidate Kalin Georgesku had prevailed in the first round.<\/p>\n
And it was then that everyone fell for the common candidate Nikusor Dan, former mayor of Bucharest, who was finally elected in the May 2025 elections – after three successive presidential elections that ended in utter chaos.<\/p>\n
Six impeachment motions in six months<\/b><\/h3>\n
On 15 December 2025, the coalition government led by Liberal Prime Minister Boljan survived its sixth impeachment motion in six months – since the coalition government received a vote of confidence, on June 23, 2025 – while the four parties could not agree on the budget and the Social Democrats, the largest party, a key party for maintaining the coalition, threatened to leave if Bolyoyan did not agree to an increase in the minimum wage in 2026.<\/p>\n
At the time, the Social Democrats had voted against the motion of impeachment, but voted with the opposition to impeach Environment Minister Diana Bouzoyanou from President Dan’s centre-right party – which drew a reaction from Prime Minister Bolyoyan, who said that’s not how coalitions work.<\/b><\/p>\n
Not even a year after the formation of the four-party government and the country is back to the same denominator – and the appointment of prosecutors directly by the president has added fuel to the fire. <\/b>In fact, President Dan has not ruled out the possibility of a minority government, claiming that the PSD (Social Democrats) had violated the agreement with the PNL (Liberals).<\/p>\n
There is now a serious possibility that the Social Democrats will – after next Monday’s meeting – leave the government, withdrawing their seven ministers, and the possibility of submitting another motion of censure, which this time could lead to the fall of the government.<\/b><\/p>\nMuslim-chair minority government<\/b><\/h3>\n
According to Article 85(3) of the Romanian constitution, the prime minister is not obliged to request a vote of confidence in parliament if a political party withdraws its ministers from the government. But how long can a government last when there is not the necessary number of MPs to pass the laws it proposes? More so when “interim” ministers can remain in their posts for a maximum of 45 days and then have to be replaced by others, in a peculiar political game of musical chairs. But how functional can a government be when every 45 days it is forced to reshuffle? How many 45days can it last?<\/b><\/p>\n
Meanwhile, on 13 April, it was announced that an investigation is being launched, following a request from the European Public Prosecutor’s Office, into possible overpricing for the purchase of electric mini school buses, a \u20ac250 million project funded by the Recovery Fund. According to the technical bulletin, 3,200 cars were to be bought with the money, but 1,300 were eventually bought with the same money.<\/p>\n
According to the complaints, the buses started to “develop” problems, such as their batteries not being able to withstand the cold weather, and many mayors resorted to using the old buses again to transport pupils.<\/p>\n
Now the current prime minister is in the crosshairs<\/b><\/h3>\n
The Minister of Investment and European Projects, Dragos Pislarou, decided to report himself to the European Public Prosecutor’s Office after allegations that a certain company received the most contracts, while the price at which each bus was sold varied from county to county.<\/p>\n
Now also in the crosshairs is Premier Ilie Boloian himself, who at the time of the purchases was chairman of the Bihor County Council.<\/p>\n
According to the Romanian press, Minister Pislaru informed the European Public Prosecutor’s Office on December 8, 2025, and on the 11th of that month the investigations began – a speed that has raised many questions.<\/b><\/p>\n
This is what happens when one power gets in the way of another…<\/b><\/p>\n
Feb.1: I inform the truly misinformed that95% of the European Public Prosecutor’s Office cases that result in convictions involve VAT cases, counterfeit goods arriving at European ports from China and other cases where politicians are NOT involved. <\/b>And yet they are arrested by the action of local national authorities (national justice, police, port authorities) which happens every day all over Europe and is considered normal. A look at the ELAS press releases will convince you. <\/b>The difference is that that 5% that concerns politicians and is filed or leads to acquittals is enough to strike democracy and parliamentarianism at their heart.<\/b><\/p>\n
May 2: If some dream of a repeat of the Romanian scenario in Greece, then this is a battle worth fighting by both the legislature and the executive and the judiciary.<\/b><\/p>\n
*This article was published at liberal.gr<\/b><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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