Strasbourg, 06.07.2012 – The President of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) Jean-Claude Mignon today expressed his concern at developments in Romania.

“As a member state of the Council of Europe, Romania must respect the commitments it has undertaken and European standards. The independence of the judiciary, in particular of the Constitutional Court, is an essential condition for the existence for the rule of law in any state,” he said.

He also called on all parties to resolve the current crisis through political dialogue, while fully respecting the rights of the opposition, the constitution and the laws in force. “In a democratic state, relations between the branches of power are governed by rules established in advance, and not decided by who has the power,” he added.

“The Venice Commission is at the disposal of our Romanian colleagues to provide them with full and impartial legal advice on all questions of constitutional law,” the President concluded.

Read also:

- Letter by Secretary General Thorbjørn Jagland to the President of the European Commission for Democracy through Law, Gianni Buquicchio

- Romania and the Council of Europe