The possibility I have discussed in a previous article has become reality - Romanian anti-corruption prosecutor Daniel Morar has been removed from office.
Justice Minister Predoiu has nominated Monica Serbanesco to replace Morar. She has been his adviser in the Romanian Ministry of Justice since 2005 and an assistant to the controversial former Attorney General Ilie Botos.
The replacement of Morar for his "political motivation" is a serious blow to the anti-corruption work of Romania.
The dismissal of disagreeable prosecutors (not least one whose efforts have been commended in the latest Commission report on Romania) is a sign to the outside world that the Romanian government and ruling National Liberal Party (PNL) are not interested in a fully-fledged fight against the evil of corruption.
We can only hope that Ms. Serbanesco can and will do her new job uninfluenced by the knowledge that if she is tough on the matter, she might also be removed after three years...
Update:
German newspaper Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung (tomorrow's issue) reports that it is not very like that Serbanesco will be confirmed by Romanian president Basescu. It seems more likely that the decision will be postponed until after the parliamentary elections in November when a new Justice Minister might be elected.
Moskaus (letzte?) Warnung an Washington
14 hours ago
4 comments:
Do you know if Sebanesco will be able to stand up to the corruption or will she take a less inquisitive approach?
If she is nominated (see "update"), then her personal vita seems to indicate that she is much closer to the system than her predecessor (see updated text). Generally spoken, that could slow down her efforts...
But I am not someone prejudging another person before she has even started the job.
I noticed the update. How convenient: for the next couple of months the anticorruption position will remain unfilled.
There is some transitional prosecutor fulfilling the job, but the question is: How...
Post a Comment