Thousands of Romanians resumed protests in the country’s capital, Bucharest, demanding the resignation of the government which, activists believe, had tried to legislatively diminish public servants’ responsibility for corruption. It was the 27th day of protests raging in the country after the government had amended the Criminal Code and other laws offering a loophole for corrupt officials.
The amendments triggered probably the biggest rallies in Romania’s history. And although early in February the Romanian government decided to abrogate the amendments, and past week the parliament backed this decision, the protests still continue, albeit on a smaller scale.
Past Saturday almost three thousand people gathered on Victory Square in front of the parliament building in Bucharest. The activists unfolded an EU flag made from sheets of paper and fabric. They chanted “Resign!” and “You Are Thieves!” The police blocked the streets leading to the square lined with governmental offices.
At 8 p.m. local time, the protesters made a “live flag” of the EU, holding blue and yellow sheets of paper in the air.
Romanians started night protests early in February, after Prime Minister Sorin Grindeanu had signed an ordinance moderating officials’ responsibility for illegitimate actions. Later the ordinance was revoked.
Meanwhile, on February 25 thousands rallied in the south of the country to support Grindeanu’s center-right government.
Romania’s chief anticorruption prosecutor informed that almost 1,300 officials were brought before court past year on corruption charges involving damages amounting to 260 million euros (273 million dollars). Laura Kovesi, who heads Romania’s National Anticorruption Directorate, said on Thursday that prosecutors need predictable laws to be able to do their job.
Past month the government issued a very questionable decree aimed at decriminalizing the abuse of office, which triggered mass protests across the country. Later Prime Minister Sorin Grindeanu canceled the decree. “We want to fight corruption,” but “it is necessary that our efforts be backed by stable legislative and constitutional framework,” said Kovesi. According to her, 3 ministers, 17 legislators, and 16 judges and other officials were involved in high-profile cases which her agency investigated past year.
Under the pressure from the protesters the ruling coalition of social-democrats and an alliance of liberals and democrats was forced to abrogate the controversial decree and even made some replacements to the government, thus hoping to soothe the angry Romanians. However, so far the government’s actions have had little effect on the protesters who gather in their thousands to demand the resignation of the government.
Yet Grindeanu is not inclined to back, and his cabinet managed to get the vote of confidence earlier this months. But it is clear that the most recent scandal has tarnished the coalition’s reputation. Its support of social-democrats dwindled from 46 to 31 percent after the party’s electoral victory.
Past week the European Commission published a report on the Romanian government’s decree where it said that such a step could push back the anticorruption effort in the country which joined the EU in 2004. Brussels is also set to keep monitoring Romania’s judiciary.
Meanwhile Transparency International quotes Romania among Eastern Europe’s most corrupt countries. The ordinance, canceled by the Romanian government under pressure from the protests, alarmed the officials in Brussels who fear that the country will not be able to adapt and ensure European standards in near future.
As a reminder: on February 5, Romania’s government canceled the ordinance on amending the Criminal Code and on amnesty for corrupt officials. The ordinance, which had caused mass protests across the country, would decriminalize corruption, abuse of office and embezzlement, if the damages should not exceed 200,000 lei (47,800 dollars).
The protests in Romania started on February 1, when some 30,000 rallied in the streets demanding the resignation of the government which had adopted criminal legislation in such a way as to provide a way out for corrupt officials.
