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Romanian government confirms repeal of corruption decree Romania protests continue despite repeal of corruption decree
(about 7 hours later)
Romania scrapped a contentious corruption decree on Sunday after a series of mass demonstrations, but protesters kept up the pressure by taking to the streets for a sixth straight day. An estimated half a million Romanians have continued to protest against the government, with many calling on it to quit even after it scrapped the corruption legislation that sparked a week of public outrage.
As half a million people gathered in Bucharest and elsewhere, the government announced it had approved a repeal of the decree that would have decriminalised certain corruption offences. The prime minister, Sorin Grindeanu, has stood firm, saying his government, which has been in office for barely a month, “has a responsibility to the people who voted for us” and would not resign.
This fulfilled the promise made late on Saturday by the prime minister, Sorin Grindeanu, after a fifth day of demonstrations that were the largest since the ousting of the communist dictator Nicolae Ceauşescu in 1989. The last six nights of large, noisy protests in cities and towns around the country have been the biggest outpouring of public anger since the toppling of the communist dictator Nicolae Ceaușescu in 1989.
Demonstrators gathered again on Sunday to underline their continued objection to the decree and make clear to Grindeanu and his left-wing government, which has been in office only a month, that corruption must be rooted out. The object of public anger was an emergency decree passed on Tuesday night that critics at home and abroad feared marked an alarming retreat in the battle against corruption, long the scourge of the EU’s second-poorest country.
“I hope that this is a real repeal … We are going to keep an eye on them to make sure we are not being had,” said a 35-year-old protester, Daniel. On Sunday, Grindeanu’s cabinet repealed the decree, but this failed to assuage protesters, many of them taking to the streets that night chanting “Resign! Resign!” as they waved flags, brandished signs and blew whistles and plastic horns in the national colours.
“Today we are going to break new records,” an electrician named Florian, 40, told AFP in Bucharest, distributing free pretzels and tea in Victory Square, the centre of this week’s protests. “They are corrupt. We want justice ... the government will still try something [with the decree],” said Emma, 24, one of between 200,000 and 300,000 people estimated to have gathered at Victory Square in central Bucharest.
By mid-afternoon, about a thousand people could be seen gathering in the square and the crowd was expected to swell later with buses arriving from outside the capital. “They are liars and bad people,” said her friend Nicole, 25. “The government has to fall ... We are going to come back here every night.”
Again they brandished placards, chanted and blew whistles and plastic vuvuzela horns in the national colours of blue, yellow and red. The decree, which had been scheduled to come into force on 10 February, would have made abuse of power a crime punishable by jail only if the sums involved exceeded 200,000 lei (£38,000).
The decree, passed last Tuesday and due to enter into force on 10 February, was to make abuse of power a crime only punishable by jail if the sums involved exceeded 200,000 lei (£38,000). The government still plans, via a separate decree to be reviewed by parliament, to free about 2,500 prisoners serving sentences of less than five years.
The government also wants, in a separate decree to be reviewed by parliament next week, to free about 2,500 people from prison serving sentences of less than five years. Grindeanu’s Social Democrats (PSD) have argued the measures were meant to bring penal law into line with the constitution and reduce overcrowding in prisons. But critics see the moves as a brazen attempt to let off the many PSD officials and parliamentarians who have been caught in a major anti-corruption drive in recent years.
Grindeanu, from the left-wing Social Democrats (PSD), had said that the measures were to bring penal law into line with the constitution and reduce overcrowding in prisons. But critics said it was a brazenly transparent attempt by the PSD to let off many of its own officials and lawmakers ensnared in a major anti-corruption drive of recent years. Almost 2,000 people were convicted for abuse of power between 2014 and 2016, and a serving prime minister, five ministers, 16 parliamentarians and five senators were put on trial.
This push saw almost 2,000 people convicted for abuse of power between 2014 and 2016, and a serving prime minister, five ministers, 16 lawmakers and five senators go on trial. Critics have said one beneficiary would be Liviu Dragnea, the head of the PSD who helped the party win a resounding election victory in December. Dragnea is barred from serving in government because of a conviction for voter fraud and is currently on trial for alleged abuse of power. He denies wrongdoing.
Grindeanu’s climbdown on Saturday evening – he said he wanted to avoid dividing the nation – sparked cheers and celebrations that carried on late into the night. On Sunday, a defiant Dragnea accused unspecified shadowy forces of instigating the demonstrations. “The organisation of these protests and their scale show that this is a political gathering. Who is organising this? Hard to say but I hope that the state institutions have this information,” he said.
But he said the government still needed to bring laws into line with the constitution, criticising what he called a campaign of misinformation and distortion. “I reproach myself for not having understood that this is a much better organised plan than a simple spontaneous movement,” he told the channel Romania TV.
Raluca, a demonstrator in her 30s, said she was delighted but that the government was still not to be trusted. “People are going to remain very vigilant with this government,” she told AFP late on Saturday. Laura Fatu, a demonstrator, said people simply wanted an end to corruption. “Our money, our forests ... and future are being stolen. We have had enough,” she told AFP.
Her words were echoed on Sunday morning by Rado, one of a trio peddling on bikes fixed to the ground in Victory Square. “It is obvious that society is becoming unified. We are together ... People are coming from other cities to Bucharest in order to change things,” said Matei, another protester. “We are ready to make Romania a clean country, for our children and for our future.”
“Usually we do a Sunday trip, we cycle around 100-150 kilometres,” said the 27-year-old, who works for an online sports shop. “And since we have to look out for the thieves in our government, we decided just to come here and train. We just want someone competent to run the state for the people. Not for themselves, for their own benefit and bank accounts.”