The political crisis in Romania is a “great danger” and may call into question this country’s progress towards “full integration” in the European Union, warned Justice Commissioner Viviane Reding. She expressed “serious concern” about the “rapid evolution of the situation” at a press briefing, on 11 July in Brussels, ahead of meetings between Romanian Prime Minister Victor Ponta and EU leaders.

In a statement released in Brussels, Ponta described such fears as unfounded. Denouncing “political propaganda,” including “at European level,” he called on his “European partners to judge us on our actions”. In the space of one week, the centre-left majority managed to suspend centre-right President Traian Basescu with the endorsement of the Constitutional Court. The removal from office must be approved in a referendum to become valid.

Reding, expressing her personal view, did not rule out “the possibility that the Commission may have to continue for a number of years” its monitoring of the rule of law in Romania, “with the consequences to be drawn by the member states for development of the Schengen area”.

The Commission is set to present its regular report on the rule of law in Romania and Bulgaria during the latter half of July.