On Tuesday, Senate Speaker Calin Popescu Tariceanu launched a harsh attack on the Opposition parties and on Head of State Klaus Iohannis, stating they have generated “a climate of Talibanism,” rejecting any discussion on Romania’s long-term projects.
“Unfortunately, the Opposition parties are making a title of glory out of rejecting, en masse, any proposal of the ruling coalition, and the representatives of some state institutions end up inciting street protests, including at the level of Romania’s President. It’s a climate of Talibanism, in which discussions on Romania’s long-term projects – as is the case of this strategy – are difficult to accomplish,” Calin Popescu Tariceanu stated at an event on revising the National Strategy for Romania’s Sustainable Development, an event that took place at the Government.
He added that he has lately noticed, “with concern,” the excessive polarisation of the political sphere, of the political scene, and of Romanian society as a whole.
At the same time, Tariceanu gave as example the sustainable development strategy adopted in 2008.
“The [2008] Strategy (on Romania’s sustainable development – editor’s note) was the result of an effort started by ex-President Ion Iliescu and Premier Adrian Nastase, continued and finalised during my term, an effort in which Romania’s most important specialists took part. This effort enjoyed wide political support and the Opposition at that time understood to constructively take part in the devising of this strategy. Such wide support is, in my opinion, mandatory, because such a strategy must be pursued beyond election cycles, regardless of the parties that take turn in power,” Tariceanu added.
Senate Speaker Calin Popescu Tariceanu stated on Tuesday that the “deep state” dynamites Romania’s sustainable development objectives, stating that what started as a legitimate fight against corruption has turned into a bitter struggle for power.
“I want to refer to the most important challenge for Romania, without which the attainment of sustainable development objectives cannot be possible. It is a challenge specific to Romania, which unfortunately did not get rid for good of the practices specific to the communist regime. I did not include this challenge in the 2008 strategy for a very simple reason, because I did not imagine Romania had not left her past behind for good. I’m talking about what we are all seeing today, namely the “deep state,” the occult state that puts into doubt the fundamental democratic principles, such as the exercise of power by the citizens, through their representatives elected by vote, namely through Parliament, or the separations of powers, or what we globally call the rule of law,” Calin Popescu Tariceanu stated at an event on revising the National Strategy for Romania’s Sustainable Development.
He said that “the existence of a deep state dynamites Romania’s sustainable development objectives” from at least two points of view.
“I’m referring firstly to the abuses on citizens and the failure to respect their rights and freedoms. A state in which citizens are afraid, in which citizens are wiretapped, in which businessmen are the objects of abusive investigations, is a state that, obviously, discourages initiative and blocks development. Secondly, I’m referring about the infringement of the principle of separation of powers. In recent years I have noticed a worrisome trend of putting impermissible pressure on Parliament, and on Government, through methods, some repressive, already known and tested – fabricated dossiers, handcuffs, attempts to discredit via televised justice, unjustified detention, the use of the deep state’s “press division” and the examples can continue for a long time. What started as a legitimate fight against corruption has turned into a bitter fight for power, sometimes deaf, sometimes blind, sometimes in view, in which the takeover of power via undemocratic and illegitimate methods is being attempted,” Tariceanu added.
The Senate Speaker claimed that, lately, Government decisions are investigated by prosecutors and “magistrates holding top positions within the system publicly encourage the use of any means to silence parliamentarians and to block the discussion of some bills, such as the bills reforming the judiciary,” in such conditions the capacity of the Parliament and Government to exercise their role as stipulated by the Constitution being significantly reduced.
“The discussion of public policies and governmental strategies for sustainable development becomes pointless if those who should adopt and implement them fear they too will become targets or, even worse, will see their initiatives blocked,” the Senate Speaker concluded.
