The High Court of Cassation and Justice, Romania’s top court, is headed today by Judge Lia Savonea and Victor Alistar is its spokesperson.
For over a decade, the pair have had their share of major controversies while journalists have written their close relationship to some politicians, specifically the Social Democratic Party.
In other words, it was precisely in this area where there are all kinds of interests, that in the decade starting in 2010, Romania took great steps backwards in terms of the rule of law and justice, and rolling back essential parts of the progress that the country had been forced to make in order to join the EU and NATO.
Among other things, the press reported that Lia Savonea’s husband, the lawyer Mihai Savonea, happened to have his office in the same building as the former PSD senator Cătălin Voicu and also happened to offer legal advice to the respective senator.
And she herself, as a magistrate and chief court judge, was constantly under fire from questions raised in the press about certain aspects of her activity.
In order to clarify this quickly for yourself what the Savonea-C. To learn about Voicu, simply search “Voicu Network” on Google.
You will discover or, as the case may be, you will rediscover that the details regarding the criminal-political-relational saga of Cătălin Voicu are – let’s put it mildly –somewhat juicy and should cause painful frustrations to any ordinary litigant or law-abiding taxpayer.
Victor Alistar gained notoriety through his activity in civil society (Transparency International), but concretely it was his ‘meanders’ that made him highly appreciated in the PSD camp and in the rest of the anti-reformist political and business spectrum about a decade ago.
Victor Ponta wanted Victor Alistar as a minister in his government, but legal incompatibility problems blocked his appointment.
On the television stations of Dan Voiculescu (the mogul sentenced to prison for corruption), Alistar was a regular guest in troubled times. Times when the assaults on the rule of law and the independence of the judiciary really took place, and not a made-up scenario as the Savonea-Alistar duo are warning today and they are both extremely irritated by the reform of magistrates’ pensions.
Also in those troubled times, when Savonea and Alistar were well regarded in the anti-reform political-economic camp, Romania’s strategic partners remained for years on high alert because of because of actions either carried out or planned to push back reforms.
Alistar, according to past press revelations, also had some problems with apartment(s) from the public housing fund – a small matter, of course, but it also deserves a place in the inventory.
Of course, there are numerous dense shadows of the public, professional and relational circle of the two, Savonea & Alistar, more than what I have outlined above. For those who want details, press archives can fortunately satisfy even the most diverse curiosities.
The fact that in the case of this pair, a return in time is required, is justified and legitimized by the roles that Savonea and Alistar have both in the activity of the High Court of Cassation, as well as in shaping the public communication not only of the respective institution but of the entire justice system.
In the context of the reform on magistrates’ pensions, the court headed by Lia Savonea and the communication department directed by Victor Alistar are carrying out a more unscrupulous public offensive from day to day.
The court rains with statements, it rains with press releases, but the problem is not that it rains with them, but that their content rains either with inaccuracies, or with glaring omission, or with incorrect, sometimes even abusive interpretations.
In a country where the perception created by the justice system is that the more VIP you are, the more you can enjoy reduced punishments, ‘miraculous’ statutes of limitations, or pared down charges, Lia Savonea and Victor Alistar produce justifying narratives that are not only often unconvincing, but, not infrequently, even offensive to the public’s intelligence.
In a country where magistrates have arranged, over time, deeply ethically and economically problematic salaries, bonused and retirement conditions, Lia Savonea and Victor Alistar have come out with narratives justifying them that are both aberrant and dishonest.
It is at least curious the diligence with which the two criticize any type of criticism brought to the justice system in general, to some rulings made by the High Court of Cassation and Justice, in particular, and to the incorrect and arrogant attitude of magistrates when it comes to their pensions.
But no less curious is the inclination of the two to systematically introduce into the public communication act of the institution they represent (this is also the case of the High Court press release of November 7) conspiracy and aggressive ideas, such as: “Manipulation of society against justice” (this formula appears even in the title).
Or, my “favorite”, a slightly Putinist approach in content and spirit “We also call on the state authorities to fulfill their duties and role in preventing and combating disinformation and hybrid attacks on the judiciary” (this being the final paragraph of the communiqué of November 7).
Considering that the head of the High Court of Cassation and Justice is a magistrate, and this profession requires par excellence a deep respect for the facts, precision, clarity, the president of the High Court, Lia Savonea, and the spokesperson of the institution, Victor Alistar, are called on to explain the following:
- Who exactly manipulates society?
- Which state authorities should intervene?
- What duties need to be performed?
- Which institutions?
- Against whom, exactly, to intervene?
- Which fake news and which disinformation Is being referred to?
- And, the icing on the cake: which hybrid actions is the statements talking about?
Given the institutional level from which Savonea and Alistar publicly express themselves, this degree of vagueness and generalization suggests not only a certain deficit of professional training, but also a somewhat clearer excess of zeal in terms of threats.
Who, then, and why are Savonea and Alistar threatening, using the website of a public body?
- PS: There are also inaccuracies in the November 7 press release, which G4Media dealt with… accurately.
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