“As a member state of the Council of Europe, Romania must meet its obligations and the European standards. Independence of the magistracy, especially the Constitutional Court, is a prerequisite for the existence of the rule of law”. This was stated by Jean-Claude Mignon, president of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE), which will be in Bucharest tomorrow with two of the Assembly’s politicians for a two-day informative visit. Mignon called all parties to solve the crisis “through political dialogue, in full compliance with the rights of the opposition, the Constitution and the applicable laws”. “In a democratic state – he warns –, relations between the branches of power are ruled by pre-set regulations, not by those who are in power”. During such two-day visit, the president of PACE will meet, among others, the presidents of the House of Deputies and the Senate, Valeriu ªtefan Zgonea and Petru Filip, respectively, the Prime Minister Victor Ponta, the Head of State George Crin Laurenþiu Antonescu and the suspended president, Traian Bãsescu, and the president of the Constitutional Court, Augustin Zegrean. Mignon reassured that the Venice Commission “is willing to help the Romanian colleagues, providing them with thorough, unbiased legal advice on any matter of constitutional law”.

17/07/2012 -