Protection and Guard Service (, abbreviated SPP) is the
Romania
Romania is a country located at the crossroads of Central Europe, Central, Eastern Europe, Eastern and Southeast Europe. It borders Ukraine to the north and east, Hungary to the west, Serbia to the southwest, Bulgaria to the south, Moldova to ...
n institution designated to protect and defend dignitaries, as well as their family or close relatives. The institution operates independently, although it collaborates closely with the Romanian
Ministry of National Defense
A ministry of defence or defense (see spelling differences), also known as a department of defence or defense, is the part of a government responsible for matters of defence and military forces, found in states where the government is divide ...
and other secret services. Its motto is ''
Semper Fidelis
''Semper fidelis'' () is a Latin phrase that means "always faithful" or "always loyal" (Fidelis or Fidelity). It is the motto of the United States Marine Corps, usually shortened to Semper Fi. It is also in use as a motto for towns, families, ...
''.
Activity
SPP is a vital institution for the national security. It operates under Law 191/1998. The institution and its employees are mainly required to:
* Defend dignitaries and their families, within legal limitations
* Defend diplomats and heads of state during their stay in Romania (including airspace, water and the additional islands)
* Defend the residences of the above-mentioned category
* Defend any premises in which the above-stated category is visiting
The institution must respect all laws, as well as the
Constitution
A constitution is the aggregate of fundamental principles or established precedents that constitute the legal basis of a polity, organization or other type of entity, and commonly determines how that entity is to be governed.
When these pri ...
. The institution takes orders and fulfills requests given by the
Supreme Council of National Defense.
History
The institution has been officially operating since May 7, 1990. The concept of such a service came up right after
the fall of the communist regime.
Along the years, the institution has been keeping a low-profile, with little information available about it.
See also
* ''
Secţia Intervenţii Anti-Teroriste'', the special unit of the Protection and Guard Service
*
5th Directorate of the Securitate, the department of the Securitate charged with the same tasks during the
communist regime
A communist state, also known as a Marxist–Leninist state, is a one-party state in which the totality of the power belongs to a party adhering to some form of Marxism–Leninism, a branch of the communist ideology. Marxism–Leninism was ...
References
External links
*
Official site
Protective security units
Romanian intelligence agencies
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