Romanian President Nicușor Dan on Monday vowed to investigate allegations of widespread abuses within the country’s justice system after judges and prosecutors raised concerns about intimidation and undue influence at the highest levels of the judiciary.
Speaking after a meeting with magistrates in Bucharest, Dan said the integrity of Romania’s judicial institutions was under serious question following what he described as extensive and credible complaints submitted by members of the profession.
The president said hundreds of judges and prosecutors had reported a climate of fear, accusing the Supreme Judicial Council, Romania’s top judicial oversight body, of protecting a narrow group of senior officials rather than acting in the public interest.
“The situation we are in is serious, in that there is this suspicion about the integrity of the judicial system,” Dan said in a statement released after the meeting, adding that all claims would be examined through appropriate legal channels.
He said the information gathered pointed to “a category of magistrates, including chief court judges, who do not act in the public interest but instead serve the interest of a group.”
The meeting followed an open call by Dan for members of the judiciary to submit evidence of misconduct. On Sunday, he said his office had received roughly 2,000 pages of material outlining alleged integrity breaches and questionable judicial practices.
Under Romania’s constitution, the president appoints senior judges and prosecutors and may attend meetings of the Supreme Judicial Council. However, Dan does not have the legal authority to dismiss sitting magistrates or council members.
Despite those limits, far right lawmakers accused the centrist president of overstepping his role and interfering with judicial independence. Several lawmakers have publicly called for his impeachment, arguing that the probe threatens the separation of powers.
Read Also: Romania Scrambles Jets After Drone Breach Amid Russia Strike
Dan has rejected those accusations, saying the inquiry is necessary to restore public trust in institutions that are meant to operate independently and transparently.
The documentary prompted widespread public anger. In early December, thousands of people protested in Bucharest and other major cities, demanding accountability and reforms within the judiciary.
Romania has long faced criticism over corruption and judicial independence. When the country joined the European Union in 2007, Brussels placed its justice system under special monitoring through the Cooperation and Verification Mechanism.
That monitoring was lifted in 2023 after EU officials said Romania had made sufficient progress. However, several watchdog groups and analysts say the pace of anti graft investigations has slowed since then.
