President Nicușor Dan intervened in the conflict sparked between recently-appointed deputy prime minister Oana Gheorghiu and the Superior Council of Magistracy, or CSM. The latter filed a criminal complaint against the former, after Gheorghiu stated that the magistrates’ pensions have to be cut.
Specifically, Oana Gheorghiu stated during an interview on Digi24 that she understands the difficulty magistrates have in giving up the large incomes they benefit from, but that rational people must understand this reality. The official emphasized that the money used to pay the magistrates’ pensions is taken from other places, such as social services for children and the healthcare system.
In reply, CSM said that calling for a reduction in magistrates’ special pensions amounted to incitement to hatred and violence against members of the judiciary. Saying that the magistrates’ pensions result in fewer funds for minors was also not permitted, according to the CSM.
In this context, the president weighed in and argued that the deputy PM’s statements were “unfortunate” but added that CSM’s reaction was also exaggerated. Dan said that Gheorghiu should remain in the government, arguing that “everyone makes mistakes and this is not such a big one.”
“If a request for criminal prosecution comes, I will not sign it, I don’t believe it is a criminal offense,” the head of state argued. On the other hand, the president said that, due to the “political campaign” regarding special pensions in the judiciary, “magistrates have become the scapegoats,” and that this “is not normal.”
The president is not the only one to have given statements regarding the conflict. Over 40 organizations and civil society figures jointly signed an open letter addressed both to magistrates and the political class, emphasizing that magistrates are not a vulnerable or disadvantaged category, but a privileged one, and calling for a responsible and constructive approach toward the justice system.
“The Superior Council of Magistracy considers that deputy PM Oana Gheorghiu incited to violence, hatred, and discrimination when she tried to appeal to the humanitarian feelings of magistrates in order to convince them to understand and accept the reduction of special pensions. […] It is ridiculous that magistrates, one of the most privileged professional categories in Romania, claim to be a disadvantaged and vulnerable category. And it is dangerous that a humanitarian argument, no matter how poorly formulated, has come to be seen by Romanian magistrates as incitement to violence, hatred, and discrimination,” the letter argued, cited by G4Media.
The signatories highlight that the principle of the independence of the judiciary does not imply a ban on discussing the justice system. They also told magistrates to ask themselves why justice has come to have such a negative image in Romania.
“We, the citizens, want to feel the magistrates by our side in this fight for the independence of justice. Unfortunately, lately we have too often felt that some high-ranking magistrates are not on our side, but rather on the side of their own interests, especially regarding special pensions and major corruption cases. Hence our indignation,” the letter adds.
The Romanian Government has been locked in a conflict with the magistrates over the need to reform the special pensions system by November 28, a key deadline for unlocking EUR 870 million in suspended EU funds under the Resilience Facility. Magistrates in Romania can retire at around 48-50 years, and receive an average monthly pension of around EUR 5,000, while the average pension nationally is just over EUR 320. So far, bodies representing magistrates have contested any governmental attempt to reduce their pensions in the courts.
(Photo source: Inquam Photos | Octav Ganea)
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