Parliamentary Assembly

Mr President, dear members of the Parliamentary Assembly, Mr Secretary General, excellencies, ladies and gentlemen, I warmly thank President Agramunt for the invitation to be here today and for his very kind introduction.

I am truly honoured to address this distinguished Assembly. My presence is one more proof of the deep attachment and respect Romania nurtures towards the Council of Europe, the first major international organisation to which my country acceded after the fall of communism. Our accession to the Council of Europe in 1993 was one of the first major steps in the process of democratic transition in Romania. It also played a key role in the European and Euro-Atlantic integration of my country. Romania’s 10-year European Union membership, which we celebrate this year, can be also considered a result of the tremendous transformative power of membership of the Council of Europe.

The Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe greatly contributed to developing the rule of law in my country and strengthening respect for human rights, and those things characterise present-day Romania. In this context, I stress the importance of the Council of Europe’s legal instruments in consolidating a democratic State. Convinced of this fact, Romania has ratified 107 of the Council of Europe’s conventions.

“One of the main challenges we all face in Europe is, unfortunately, the rise of populism, radicalism, xenophobia and Europhobia.”

Through constant dialogue with the Council of Europe, Romania also became a model – I speak about this from my personal experience – in protecting and promoting the rights of persons belonging to national minorities. The successful Romanian intercultural model is recognised as such at a European level and this genuine model of inter-ethnic relations entails the active involvement at all levels, whether local or national, of national minorities’ representatives in the decision-making process for not just the minority in question but society as a whole. It involves not only the mere co-existence of minority groups with the majority population, which defines the so-called multicultural model, but the interaction of minority and majority groups, thus fostering an intercultural project. It is a project that enriches our society and civic spirit through cultural diversity and proves the virtues of interaction and tolerance. In my view, national minorities represent a true, enriching asset of a nation and contribute to building solid bridges between States.

As for the Roma minority and their social inclusion, we can see that our step-by-step multi-institutional approach over the past 15 years has produced tangible results. Of course, there are still things to be done, but the confirmation of our results can be found, among other things, in the rise of the political participation of Roma, the efficiency of the strategies implemented and the figures published, for instance, by the European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights. I want to reaffirm in this context Romania’s strong support for the work of the Council of Europe in this area and our commitment to further work towards the social inclusion of Roma both in Romania and in Europe more generally.

As for the keystone of human rights protection in Europe, the European Convention on Human Rights, it is obvious that the continued efforts of the Strasbourg Court alone are not enough. States party to the Convention should be the first protectors of human rights. At the same time, we can neither ignore nor tolerate situations in which judgments of the Court are not implemented in certain member States. On the other hand, Protocol 16 to the Convention will contribute to the better implementation of the Convention standards through judicial dialogue. Romania has already signed Protocol 16 and we are in the process of drafting the piece of legislation necessary to introduce in our procedural framework the possibility of the highest national courts asking for advisory opinions. However, the effort started in 2010 regarding the reform of the Court, which has already showed concrete results, should continue so as to streamline further its activity and improve its overall efficiency. Romania will do its best to support the accomplishment of this goal.

Present-day Europe is faced with multiple crises unprecedented since the end of the Cold War and capable of undermining our core values. In this complex context and as a result of their capacity to regenerate and modernise, the Council of Europe’s standards and institutions are even more relevant. In this sense, I commend the activities not only of the European Court of Human Rights, which I have already mentioned, but of the Commissioner for Human Rights, the Committee for the Prevention of Torture, the European Commission against Racism and Intolerance, the Venice Commission, the Group of Experts on Action against Trafficking in Human Beings, MONEYVAL and, not least, this Assembly.

I want to dedicate a special word to the Venice Commission, whose relevance nowadays cannot be emphasised enough in the light of various evolutions in some European democracies. We benefited a lot from its expertise, from its opinion on the first democratic Constitution of Romania of 1991 to the assistance with so many essential pieces of legislation to uphold the rule of law in Romania. Its activity needs to be backed as it performs its duties as guardian of democracy through law, and Romania will continue to support its efforts.

I am therefore pleased to inform you that on 6 April I, together with Secretary General Jagland, will open in Bucharest an international conference co-organised with the Venice Commission on the role of the majority and the opposition in a democratic society. It is a highly topical subject given the background of certain changes in some member States. I praise the initiative of the Secretary General, who asked the Venice Commission to elaborate guidelines on the matter.

We need solid democratic societies, in which majorities do not abuse their otherwise legitimate rights just because they are a majority and the principle of loyal and constructive co-operation between and among democratic institutions works without failure. In a democratic society, normal criticism from the opposition cannot be seen as a destructive element or interpreted as a lack of acceptance of the results of democratic elections. It is just part – as legitimate as the effort and activity of the democratic majority – of a sound liberal democratic system, which we all need if we want to cope successfully with the challenges of our times.

Another challenge that we in Europe all face, unfortunately, is the rise of populism, radicalism, xenophobia and europhobia. Europhobia is not only against the values of the European Union; it also very much against the fundamental values, principles and norms of the Council of Europe. This Organisation has a key role to play in fighting those pernicious phenomena, which attack the very basics of our democratic societies. We have to fight them with all the forces, instruments and mechanisms available to us. Romania will not spare any effort to do so.

I am glad that the latest parliamentary elections in Romania, held in December, did not bring any europhobic, xenophobic or radical political parties into the Romanian Parliament, which shows eloquently the maturity of Romanian society. I hope that the results of the various elections that will take place this year in Europe will prove the same maturity of European citizens, against all odds.

Alongside serious European internal challenges, we face another major threat: violent extremism and radicalisation leading to terrorism. The Council of Europe has taken up an important role in fighting terrorism by strengthening its legal instruments and improving its bodies. Romania firmly condemns all terrorist attacks and reiterates its firm support for combating any form of terrorism. Our common efforts aimed at countering the phenomenon of foreign fighters should remain grounded in our need to protect and reinforce our values. That is why Romania and Spain launched in 2015 an initiative on the creation of an international court against terrorism in order to prevent, deter and punish terrorist crimes. I invite you all to support that initiative. It is also why Romania signed in March 2016 the additional protocol to the Council of Europe Convention on the Prevention of Terrorism and will ratify it soon.

In a broader context, I would also like to underline that Romania supports every joint action against cybercrime. That is essential for combating terrorism, organised crime and human trafficking. As host State of the Council of Europe’s Cybercrime Programme Office, which became operational in Bucharest in 2014, Romania acknowledged the growing need of States to strengthen their capacity to properly combat cybercrime.

As members will know, Romania is also a staunch supporter of the democratic process in its vicinity. In that context, the role of Parliamentary Assembly members in consolidating democracy is fundamental. Romania has strongly supported the Republic of Moldova’s democratic development since its declaration of independence in 1991. Romania was the first State in the world to recognise the independence of the Republic of Moldova. After 26 years, we hold firmly that the only path that can bring long-term prosperity to our neighbouring State is that of European integration. That goal can only be reached through a profound reform process based on ensuring domestic political stability and the responsible involvement of all political and institutional factors in consolidating the process. That is essential for the State’s modernisation and the support of its European course, to the direct benefit of its citizens. I therefore strongly encourage the Council of Europe community to continue its support for the Republic of Moldova, while keeping in view the next parliamentary elections in 2018, which will be crucial for the democratic future of the country.

As for Ukraine, Romania strongly supports the sovereignty, territorial integrity and unity of our neighbour. The Minsk agreements are the best tool for solving the crisis and should be fully implemented. The Council of Europe has a major role to play in the reform process in Ukraine, and Romania remains a strong supporter of all these efforts.

The situation in the Western Balkans is still marked by a certain degree of insecurity, originating in the difficult economic situation, the rise of nationalism, organised crime and the threat of religious radicalisation. The strategic importance of the Western Balkans in Europe should motivate us to overcome those difficulties and persevere in projecting our values of democracy, the rule of law and prosperity. To achieve that aim, the European Union enlargement process needs to continue and, as appropriate, the European Union should consider assuming more creative means and a broader approach. The Council of Europe’s complementary role has proven crucial in that pursuit. We are grateful for its involvement in monitoring respect for human rights, protection of the rights of persons belonging to national minorities and respect for democratic principles.

My presence here coincides with the commemoration in memory of the victims of the Holocaust. I took part in an event yesterday and inaugurated an exhibition called “Education and Remembrance: the Holocaust in Romania”. This is taking place while my country holds the chairmanship of the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance. Raising awareness of the Holocaust and teaching younger generations about the tragic events that occurred during the Second World War has been a top priority for Romania in recent years.

With the chairmanship of the Alliance, we have strived to provide support to educational establishments and to educators on how to use the lessons learned from the tragedy of the Holocaust to promote knowledge and tolerance in our society. Students across my country have had the opportunity to attend workshops, lectures, study trips and contests which are meant to equip them with knowledge and skills to adequately relate to this tragic historical episode. Furthermore, Romanian institutions have also established international partnerships for training civil servants and law enforcement personnel in combating anti-Semitism, Holocaust denial, racism, xenophobia, discrimination and hate speech in the public sphere. In 2015, Romania introduced in its criminal legislation one of the most modern sets of legal provisions in Europe banning extreme nationalism, racism, xenophobia, negationism and anti-Semitism. This new legislation allows for the prosecution of such actions even if they were performed on social networks.

I would like to underline here the importance of combating the threat of the spreading of hate speech on social networks and the need for effective institutional instruments to follow and ban this type of action. I call on all of you to act against this menace. These kinds of measures, as taken by Romania, are instrumental in providing the correct reaction when faced with attempts to deny or distort history or to "promote" people who are guilty of crimes against peace and humanity. This approach should be followed by all Council of Europe member States. In May 2016, a working definition on anti-Semitism was adopted on the occasion of the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance plenary meeting in Bucharest. This was a great achievement, but keeping the memory of the Holocaust alive, and fighting anti-Semitism and all forms of racism, discrimination and xenophobia, is a collective endeavour. I once again praise the activity in this field of this distinguished Assembly and of all the other Council of Europe institutions.

Ladies and gentlemen, I am sincerely convinced that the Council of Europe and this Assembly, in particular, must and will remain a major player in upholding the rule of law and safeguarding human rights, against the background of the current challenges. A new Council of Europe Summit, in 2019, would constitute an endorsement, at the highest political level, of the key role that the Council of Europe plays for the future of our continent. As future holders of the Presidency of the Council of the European Union, in the first semester of 2019, Romania stands ready to contribute to a successful Summit of the Council of Europe, if the member States decide to organise it.

In Romania’s view, the work of the Council of Europe is vital for maintaining and safeguarding our democratic values and principles. I assure you that Romania will continue to make every effort necessary in supporting this essential mission. You may count on me, you may count on Romania. Thank you.