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| Romania to withdraw corruption decree after mass protests | Romania to withdraw corruption decree after mass protests |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| The Romanian government says it will withdraw a controversial decree that would have decriminalised some corruption offences. | The Romanian government says it will withdraw a controversial decree that would have decriminalised some corruption offences. |
| Prime Minister Sorin Grindeanu said it would be repealed on Sunday. | |
| "I do not want to divide Romania. It can't be divided in two," Mr Grindeanu said in a televised statement. | |
| Tens of thousands of Romanians have been holding daily protests against the decree, which would have seen convicted officials released from prison. | Tens of thousands of Romanians have been holding daily protests against the decree, which would have seen convicted officials released from prison. |
| Mr Grindeanu spoke after protesters marched through Bucharest, the capital, on Saturday, in a fifth consecutive day of demonstrations. They formed a human chain around the Palace of the Parliament. | |
| The protests in the eastern European country have been the largest since the fall of communism in 1989. | |
| The decree was meant to come into force at midnight on 10 February. | |
| It would have decriminalised abuse of power offences when sums of less than €44,000 (£38,000; $47,500) are involved. | |
| One immediate beneficiary would have been Liviu Dragnea, who leads the ruling PSD party and faces charges of defrauding the state of €24,000. | |
| The EU had warned Romania against undoing its progress against corruption. |