The European Parliament (EP) president Antonio Tajani expressed support for Romanian MEP Cristian Preda, who was called for explanations at the Council of Honor of the Order of the Star of Romania for having defamed the country.

Tajani said in a message on Twitter that “the European Parliament stands by Cristian Preda: a well-respected colleague, a dedicated European and a Romanian patriot.” He also argued that the rule of law in Romania must be upheld and that “attempts to intimidate him and/or sully his reputation are unacceptable.”

The European Parliament stands by Cristian Preda: a well-respected colleague, a dedicated European and a Romanian patriot. The rule of law in Romania must be upheld: attempts to intimidate him and/or sully his reputation are unacceptable.

— Antonio Tajani (@EP_President) March 29, 2018

Preda, a Romanian professor and politician who has been a member of the European Parliament since 2009, was awarded the Knight of the Order of the Star of Romania in 2009.

On March 14, he announced he was called before the Council of Honor of the Order of the Star of Romania because he criticized the Grindeanu and Tudose governments in the European Parliament.

He was called to give explanations on March 28. He asked for the hearing to be public but his request was not accepted. Afterwards, he wrote on his Facebook page, that four members of the ruling Social Democrat Party (PSD) skipped the meeting. He named Bucharest mayor Gabriela Firea, senator Ecaterina Andronescu, senator Mircea Geoană, and doctor Şerban Brădişteanu. The latter was indicted in 2012 for favoring the criminal in a case involving former prime minister Adrian Nastase. The hearing was postponed.

The PSD president, Liviu Dragnea, previously spoke of a law that would allow the Romanian state to penalize defamation. At the PSD congress mid-March he said the PSD will defend Romania’s sovereignty by a law, which will sanction the country’s defamation by politicians, heads of public institutions and known voices in society.

The Order of the Star of Romania (Ordinul Steaua României) is Romania's highest civil order.

Romanian MEP accused of defaming the country summoned to give explanations

editor@romania-insider.com