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| Romania: government retracts controversial decree after protests | Romania: government retracts controversial decree after protests |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| Romania’s government is to scrap a decree decriminalising some corruption offences, Prime Minister Sorin Grindeanu said on Saturday, after an estimated 140,000 demonstrators protested against the law a stone’s throw from his office. | |
| “We’ll hold an extraordinary meeting on Sunday to repeal the decree, withdraw, cancel it … you understand, and find a legal way to make sure it does not take effect,” Grindeanu said in televised speech from the cabinet’s headquarters. | “We’ll hold an extraordinary meeting on Sunday to repeal the decree, withdraw, cancel it … you understand, and find a legal way to make sure it does not take effect,” Grindeanu said in televised speech from the cabinet’s headquarters. |
| “I do not want to divide Romania,” he went on, prompting celebrations among those protesting outside. | |
| Călin Tăriceanu, head of the ALDE party – a junior partner of the ruling Social Democrats – told Romania TV: “This [happens] because we have nothing to hide.” | Călin Tăriceanu, head of the ALDE party – a junior partner of the ruling Social Democrats – told Romania TV: “This [happens] because we have nothing to hide.” |
| The news came after a fifth consecutive day of protests against the proposed law, which saw tens of thousands of Romanians take to the streets all around the country. An even bigger turnout had been predicted for Sunday. | The news came after a fifth consecutive day of protests against the proposed law, which saw tens of thousands of Romanians take to the streets all around the country. An even bigger turnout had been predicted for Sunday. |
| Grindeanu said the proposal would be sent to parliament for debate. The prime minister said he did not want to “divide Romania” and that “Romania in this moment seems broken in two.” The country’s constitutional court is expected to rule next week on whether the measure was legal. | Grindeanu said the proposal would be sent to parliament for debate. The prime minister said he did not want to “divide Romania” and that “Romania in this moment seems broken in two.” The country’s constitutional court is expected to rule next week on whether the measure was legal. |
| Earlier on Saturday the coalition government had hinted that it was considering backing down on the legislation. Liviu Dragnea, head of the ruling Social Democratic party, had told DC News that he was meeting Grindeanu to propose a solution. “We can possibly talk about repealing the decree, if the prime minister agrees,” Dragnea had said. | Earlier on Saturday the coalition government had hinted that it was considering backing down on the legislation. Liviu Dragnea, head of the ruling Social Democratic party, had told DC News that he was meeting Grindeanu to propose a solution. “We can possibly talk about repealing the decree, if the prime minister agrees,” Dragnea had said. |
| The overtures were not, however, enough to deter protesters. Thousands of Romanians formed a human chain around the Palace of the Parliament in Bucharest and there were also large-scale protests in the cities of Cluj, Timişoara, Sibiu, Constanța and Braşov. | The overtures were not, however, enough to deter protesters. Thousands of Romanians formed a human chain around the Palace of the Parliament in Bucharest and there were also large-scale protests in the cities of Cluj, Timişoara, Sibiu, Constanța and Braşov. |
| The government had come under increasing pressure at home and abroad to repeal the emergency decree passed on Wednesday, which watered down the country’s anti-corruption measures. Under the terms of the law, abuse of power would be a crime punishable by jail only if the sums involved exceeded 200,000 lei (£38,000). |