Romanian President Nicușor Dan has pledged to investigate allegations of systemic abuses within the judiciary, warning that the integrity of the justice system has been seriously called into question, Reuters reported on December 22, 2025.
Speaking after a meeting with judges and prosecutors on Monday, Dan said that hundreds of magistrates have described a climate of fear and excessive influence exercised by the Superior Council of Magistracy (SCM), the country’s highest judicial oversight body.
Claims of Fear and Undue Influence
According to the president, magistrates allege that the SCM has been acting in the interests of a select group rather than the public.
“The situation we are facing is serious, in the sense that there is doubt about the integrity of the judicial system,” Dan said, adding that all allegations will be investigated.
He further stated that there is “a category of magistrates and court presidents who do not act in the public interest, but rather in the interest of a group.”
Thousands of Pages of Complaints Submitted
The meeting followed an open invitation by President Dan to members of the judiciary to submit formal complaints. He revealed that he had received approximately 2,000 pages of documented examples detailing integrity issues that require further investigation and action.
While the president appoints senior judges and prosecutors and may attend SCM meetings, he does not have the legal authority to dismiss them.
Political Backlash and Protests
Despite this, far-right lawmakers have accused Dan, a centrist, of interfering with judicial independence and have called for his impeachment.
The allegations of abuse intensified after the independent media outlet Recorder aired a documentary claiming that court presidents exploited legal loopholes for unethical practices, including questionable releases of criminal suspects.
Public Anger and EU Scrutiny
In early December, thousands of people protested in Bucharest and across Romania against the alleged abuses.
Romania remains one of the most corrupt countries in the European Union. After joining the EU in 2007, its justice system was placed under special monitoring by Brussels. Although this monitoring was lifted in 2023, the pace of anti-corruption investigations has since slowed, according to the report.
