The deputy speaker of the German Bundestag, Socialist Susanne Kastner, said on Thursday that Justice reform in Romania must continue “in the spirit of Monica Macovei”, the ex-Justice minister, no matter who runs the Justice system in the country, according to Romanian news agency NewsIn.
Kastner made the statement after her meeting with the Romanian Foreign Affairs minister Adrian Cioroianu in Berlin on Thursday. It was Cioroianu’s first bilateral visit abroad his taking office in an ample government reshuffle in April.
Kastner said that German politicians were concerned and watching carefully the political crisis in Bucharest and were hoping that things calm down after the May 19 referendum so that the Romanian Government can focus on the absorption of European funds.
The referendum will have Romanian voters decide whether suspended President Traian Basescu stays in office or not.
Kastner said that Justice reform should not be linked to a single person, but that whoever runs it should pursue it in the same style as Monica Macovei.
Two months ago, Susanne Kastner had warned in an interview for Deutsche Welle that a non-confidence vote by Romanian MPs in Justice minister Monica Macovei might trigger the activation of EU safeguard clauses on Romania.
