Sophia in 't Veld, on behalf of the ALDE Group. – Mr President, I am of the generation which has been marked by the events of the fall of the Berlin Wall and everything that happened afterwards. I can also remember the first time that we welcomed colleagues from Bulgaria and Romania in this Chamber, and I was very, very moved. I don’t cry very often, I can tell you, but there were tears running down my cheeks. For me, this was reuniting the family.

But in a family we also talk about things that aren’t going well. Next year, Romania will be holding the Presidency of the European Union, and we’ll all be looking at the image that Romania presents. I know that Romania has a long and proud tradition of liberal democracy and civic engagement, and I hope that that is the past that Romania will choose because, unlike the previous speaker, I do think that values are a matter for the European Union. This is what we have laid down in the Treaties. Romania has made a great deal of effort, achieved a lot and made very good progress in recent years, but now it seems to be waivering. I would really encourage the Romanian Government to follow the recommendations of the European Commission and to invite the Venice Commission to judge the reform package – not just refer loosely to some recommendations but invite the Venice Commission.

I also think it would be a good idea for a delegation from the Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs (LIBE) to travel to Romania and talk to people and actually find out and understand what’s going on.

On the reform of the judiciary, concerns have been expressed all around, and I really hope that the Romanian Government is going to take heed.

Finally, I would like to refer briefly to the new legislation on civil society. I find it very worrying. This is happening not just in Romania or Hungary and Poland, but also in some other EU countries, and tonight we will be talking about the shrinking space for civil society. Civil society may be a pain in the neck, but it is essential for a robust and healthy democracy. A democracy organises its own critics. That’s what democracy is all about. So please reconsider.

Finally – the last sentence – I would like to reiterate this: Parliament decided a year and a half ago not to focus on just one country and then another but to install a mechanism – and I’m counting on the Commission – that assesses all the Member States.