Romanian PM vows to uphold EU's democratic rules

Romanian Prime Minister Victor Ponta defended Wednesday a push by his coalition to oust his country's president as he sought to reassure EU officials that his government was committed to democracy. Ponta arrived in Brussels on Wednesday on a charm offensive after the European Commission and the United States voiced concerns over moves to impeach President Traian Basescu and curb the powers of the constitutional court. "I will restate my unswerving commitment to democracy and the rule of law," Ponta said in a statement. The prime minister was set to meet European Parliament speaker Martin Schulz on Wednesday before holding talks the next day with European Commission chief Jose Manuel Barroso and EU president Herman Van Rompuy. "I will leave them in no doubt as to my determination to uphold the Romanian constitution and European values," Ponta said. The prime minister hit back at criticism at home and in Europe, recalling that the constitutional court had upheld a July 29 referendum on whether to confirm the impeachment of his centre-right rival Basescu. "This is not about party politics. For my taste, in recent days we have seen too much political spin and too few facts, not only at home but also at European level," he said. Ponta has been feuding with Basescu since his centre-left coalition took office in May from a centre-right government forced to quit by a no-confidence motion. Basescu, who has been suspended from his functions by the parliament for now, has alleged the real goal of his opponents in the Social Liberal Union (USL) coalition is to bring the judiciary under its control. But Basescu has himself faced counter accusations that he has tried to dominate the judiciary since he took over in 2004 as well as over-reach his powers. EU Justice Commissioner Viviane Reding voiced concern Wednesday at developments in Romania, warning that moves to undermine the independence of the judiciary could slow Bucharest's bid to join the borderless Schengen travel area. "Personally I see a great danger in the recent developments in Romania, which could call into question the progress that has been made during the last years," she told a news conference. "And if there are not very reliable reassurances and concrete actions by the Romanian government with regards to the reestablishment of the rule of law, then the country might lose the years in the progress of full integration into the European Union," Reding said. She said she said would tell Romanian Justice Minister Titus Corlatean during talks in Brussels on Wednesday that "lady justice is blind and does not look at the political colour." Romania, a former communist bloc nation that joined the EU in 2007, has struggled to convince EU partners to let it join Schengen. The Netherlands has blocked the country's bid over concerns about corruption and organised crime. While voicing confidence that his government's recent actions are in line with the constitution and EU standards, Ponta suggested that Bucharest could reverse course if it is proven wrong. "I will listen intently to my EU counterparts, and if there is a convincing case that EU norms are being breached, which was never the intention, we will change course," he said.