Judge resigns after sanction for jailing former minister
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A judge has resigned from the Superior Council of Magistracy with the parting observation that he has "understood the message" about not touching politicians. He was sanctioned after sentencing former minister Daniel Chițoiu to prison; in a system where the watchers of the judiciary can punish those who deliver the wrong verdict, he appears to have decided that the bench is no longer tenable.
The capital is preparing for a smaller workforce and a louder mayor. Bucharest’s public transport operator, STB, plans to lay off nearly 900 employees even as the city's mayor, Ciprian Ciucu, turns his attention to national politics. He described the AUR party as extremist and the PSD as a ship without a captain, suggesting the season for political positioning has arrived well ahead of the next ballot.
The government is making its pitch to remain a primary outpost for American hardware. President Nicușor Dan has reportedly told the Pentagon that the country is willing to pay to keep US troops on its soil, while military planners have begun a project to establish permanent bases. In a region where security is rarely free, the offer suggests a preference for a high bill over an empty horizon.