The date for the court to rule in the case against the “legal” coup d'état in Romania—that is the annulment of the Presidential elections—has been changed once again, this time to Dec. 30, 2024. As reported earlier, it had been first rescheduled from Dec. 23 to Jan. 13, 2025. On Dec. 23, the new government was sworn in.
Lawyer Elena Radu, who has brought the case to court along with other colleagues after the Constitutional Court on Dec. 6 surprisingly annulled the Presidential elections, has expressed her grave doubts concerning the impartiality of the upcoming judgment. The judge in the case was changed immediately after the investiture of the new government led by (former) Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu (PSD) on Dec. 23, 2024.
Radu writes in her Facebook on Dec. 27 (translation): “In view of the chronological order of events, as well as the fact that the term was changed to 12/30/2024, I have a legitimate suspicion that the judge in the case was changed precisely in order to pronounce a judgment dismissing the action on 12/30/2024, before the New Year. Considering that the vigilance of the Romanian people and their ability to react on the eve of New Year’s Eve will be low, and that by the time after the holiday they will forget and will not react.”
She points to the surprising “celerity” shown by both the Bucharest Court of Appeal in changing the judge, and the new judge, who immediately changed the trial schedule.
The new government, constituted by the old pro-European “stability” forces (the Social Democratic Party [PSD], the National Liberal Party and the Democratic Alliance of Hungarians in Romania), was sworn in on Dec. 23 by the Parliament, with 240 votes in favor, while the minimum number of votes is 233.
Its mission was described by acting President Klaus Iohannis (whose term ended on Dec. 21, 2024) as follows: “Everyone I have spoken to wants stability and to preserve Romania’s Euro-Atlantic course. In this respect I ask you to act.”
