Impeachment for Romanian president after legal storm

the Romanian government impeached president Traian Basescu yesterday for interfering with the power of the constitutional court after European Commission demanded the rule of law and independence of the judiciary be respected.

Prime minister Victor Ponta’s government took office in May and has taken a series of measures to broaden its power in the EU’s second-poorest country that is relying on International Monetary Fund aid to recover from a deep recession.

It backtracked on a plan to replace constitutional court judges after international criticism but issued emergency decrees that take immediate effect before the court can rule on them.

Late yesterday, MPs voted to impeach Basescu on grounds that he overstepped his authority by meddling in government business and legal affairs.