Unprecedented move: Romania’s National Liberal Party (PNL) buys newspaper coverage to boast about EU’s glowing justice and anti-corruption report

The National Liberal Party (PNL) has paid for the publication of advertising articles in online media, praising the European Commission’s Wednesday report on the rule of law in Romania. This marks the first time a ruling party has used a European Commission report on justice for political propaganda, given that these reports have historically been critical.

Wednesday’s report from the European Commission has a laudatory tone regarding justice and anti-corruption efforts. The Judges’ Forum Association (Forumul Judecătorilor) and the Romanian Center for European Policies (CRPE, a non-governmental organization) criticized the report, stating it ignored negative aspects of the justice system.

PNL’s advertising articles appeared in the online publications Hotnews and Newsweek with the following titles:

• [P] European Commission: Romania Strengthens Its Position in the Fight Against Corruption (Hotnews)
• European Commission Praises Romania’s Judicial Independence (P) – Newsweek
• What Alina Gorghiu (Romanian Minister of Justice) Says About the EC Report on the Rule of Law: „The Best So Far” (P) – Newsweek

Similar articles appeared in other central and local media, but they are not explicitly marked as advertisements, and it is unclear if they were published under a contract with PNL.

The European Commission published its annual report on the rule of law in each member state on Wednesday. The report dedicated to Romania has a positive tone and praises the fight against corruption. One of the few substantial criticisms concerns the issue of prescription, which allows dozens of high-level defendants to escape punishment. The European Commission report also mentions the issue of non-transparent funding of mainstream media by political parties with budget money but does not make any recommendations for action on this matter.

Previous reports by the European Commission, produced under the Cooperation and Verification Mechanism (CVM, which has since been stopped), were much more critical, constantly demanding reforms and strengthening the fight against corruption. They contained mandatory recommendations for Romanian authorities. Given their critical tone, ruling parties did not use them for political propaganda.

However, PNL is now using the European Commission’s positive report for political purposes. PNL holds the Justice portfolio through Minister Alina Gorghiu and has controlled the appointment process at the top of the General Prosecutor’s Office, the National Anti-corruption Directorate (DNA), and the Directorate for Investigating Organized Crime and Terrorism (DIICOT) through former Minister Cătălin Predoiu and President Klaus Iohannis, during Prime Minister Nicolae Ciucă’s mandate.

The Romanian Center for European Policies (CRPE) criticized an official report by the European Commission on Thursday, which praised Romania’s anti-corruption fight and overall justice system. Under the title „Where the European Commission Sees Progress in Romania’s Anti-Corruption Fight and Integrity Chapter,” CRPE argues that judicial reforms have stalled, the anti-corruption fight has slowed, and the National Integrity Agency (ANI) ignores political leaders in power while focusing on opposition members.

The Judges’ Forum Association also criticized the European Commission’s report, stating that the document „does not objectively reflect the situation of the judicial system in Romania” and announced that it would no longer participate in any dialogue with the European Commission, „refusing to let the honorability of its members be used for political speeches and agreements.”

The European Commission report also mentions the issue of non-transparent funding of mainstream media by political parties with budget money but does not make any recommendations for action on this matter.