Publications

What Is Left of the Fight against Corruption in Romania?

A Critical Analysis in Light of the Recent Parliament Elections

December 9 marks the date on which awareness for a global phenomenon is raised world-wide. The talk is about corruption. Corruption undermines the institutions and values of democracy, ethical values and justice and jeopardizes sustainable development and the rule of law (UN Convention against Corruption).

Rechtsstaat in Lectures - Lecture No. 1

The Impact of Accession to the European Union on the Application of the European Convention on Human Rights

The Rule of Law Program South East Europe (RLP SEE) has published the first volume of the new series "Rechtsstaat in Lectures" . The series shall cover the demand for expert analyses on those rule of law topics particularly relevant for the region of South East Europe. Rechtsstaat in Lectures Nr. 1 by Dr. Johan Callewaert deals with the impact of accession to the European Union on the application of the European Convention on Human Rights and the correlation of different national and regional human rights protection systems.

Different Signals for the Opening of Criminal Law Investigation against High-Ranking Politicians

Red Light for Nastase (PSD) and Mitrea (PSD), Green Light for Seres (PC) and Pacuraru (PNL)

On 3rd of September, the Romanian Parliament is going back to work. However, the parliamentarians of the Carpatian country have not been idle during the summer break: the members of the Chamber of Deputies and the Senate had to decide in extracurricular sessions on 13th and 16th of August, whether they will withdraw the immunity of four current and former ministers, thus enabling criminal law investigation on suspicion of high-ranking corruption.

Rumänien muss sich neues Vertrauen erarbeiten

Interview

Interview mit Frau Dr. Stefanie Ricarda Roos, Leiterin des KAS-Rechtsstaatsprogramms / Teil Südosteuropa und Herrn Dr. Holger Dix, Landesbeauftragter der KAS für Rumänien, in der rumänischen Wirtschaftszeitung Debizz über die aktuelle politische Lage in Rumänien, insbesondere die Entwicklungen im Bereich der Korruptionsbekämpfung, und die Arbeit der Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung im Rechtsstaatsbereich in Rumänien.

Fight against Corruption – The Problem Child of the Carpatian Country

Also in the second year after EU accession, Romania is only proceeding slowly in the fight against corruption

The topic of „fight against corruption“ has been ruling the public agenda in Romania for several years. Its accession to the European Union (EU) on 1 January 2007 has not changed anything in this respect. To the contrary: since Romania’s EU accession, the fight against corruption has been occupying national and international media, politics, economy, lawyers and civil society to a hitherto unknown extent.

Habemus Ministrum Justitiae!

39 year old business lawyer has been appointed new Minister of Justice in Romania.

In Romania, after almost two months of controversy and tensions between the two heads of the Executive, the Prime-Minister and the President, regarding the person to fill the office of the Minister of Justice, agreement has been reached on the nomination of Cătălin-Marian Predoiu, a commercial lawyer. You find more background information on his nomination in the following report.

The Rights of Suspects/Accused and their Defense in Criminal Proceedings in South East Europe

Volume II - Studies in English translation

On June 30th 2007, the German chairmanship of the European Council ended. One result of the chairmanship in the justice sector is the strengthening of civil rights through a principal discussion on pan-European consistent minimum standards for criminal proceedings. The RLP SEE of the Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung contributed to this result with a large-scale regional project comprising a comparative law study, a regional experts' conference in Bucharest (Romania), and a round table discussion in Sofia (Bulgaria). Apart from supporting the German chairmanship, the project aimed at establishing a better understanding for the importance of criminal procedural law as a „seismograph of constitution“, in particular for the rights of the suspects, the accused and their defense, and at legally identifying the present situation de iure and de facto of the countries of the region. For this purpose, the RLP SEE assigned renowned criminal procedural law experts from Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Macedonia, Montenegro, Romania, and Serbia with analyzing the respective national criminal procedural law. The final outcome is a publication which comprises country studies on the rights of the suspects/accused and their defense in criminal procedures. This publication was initially released in 2007 in the languages of origin. Now it has also been translated into English.

Prosecution of Political Corruption - Green-Lighted in Romania?

Debate has re-ignited in new EU member state Romania about the prosecution of former and current ministers under suspicion of political corruption.

Lustration and Consolidation of Democracy and the Rule of Law in Central and Eastern Europe

With a Preface by Stefanie Ricarda Roos, PhD

The publication at hand is the result of an international expert conference on the topic which was organized by the Political Science Research Centre Forum, Zagreb in cooperation with the KAS-Rule of Law Program South East Europe in Zagreb (Croatia) on May 24, 2007. It collects contributions of lustration experts from Albania, Bosnia-Herzegovina, the Czech Republic, Croatia, Hungary, Serbia, and Romania.

Not All Good Things Come in Threes for Romanian Judiciary

President Minister Basescu refuses appointment of national-liberal senator to minister of justice

Even in the 2nd year of its EU accession, the Romanian does not come to a rest: On 8January 2008, President Traian Basescu refused to appoint the national-liberal senator Norica Nicolai as the new Romanian Minister of Justice. Instead, he asked Prime Minister Calin Popescu-Tariceanu (PNL) in writing to make a new proposal for the filling of the vacancy as justice minister. Liberal Nicolai had - despite original objections by the Prime Minister - been proposed for the post of Minister of Justice in December last year by the governing PNL. The decision led to different reactions internationally.