February 1 (SeeNews) - Romania's Superior Council of Magistracy, CSM, said on Wednesday it has challenged in the constitutional court a government decree easing or eliminating penalties for corruption offences that has triggered massive protests all over the country.
The basis for challenging the decree is a conflict of constitutional nature between the executive and the judicial branches of power following the adoption of the decree by the government, CSM said in a press release.
"CSM considers that the adoption of the emergency decree represents a serious disregard of legal norms and of the CSM's point of view on the matter," CSM, the independent governing body of Romania's judicial system, added.
The emergency decree, approved by the government on Tuesday night and hastily published in the country's Official Gazette, decriminalises some graft offences and makes abuse of office punishable by jail terms only if that offence has resulted in a loss of more than 200,000 lei ($47,500/44,000 euro). Liviu Dragnea, leader of the governing Social Democrat Party (PSD), can potentially benefit from the new decree. Dragnea is currently on trial on charges of abuse of office that has led to a loss of 108,000 lei to the state. He also has a two-year suspended jail sentence for a referendum fraud in 2012, which prevented him from becoming prime minister.
The government also decided on Tuesday to send to parliament a draft pardon bill which, if adopted, will set free inmates serving sentences of up to five years for non-violent crimes.
Justice Minister Florin Iordache said that the two decrees are meant to help free up some space in the country's overcrowded jails. "We have adopted this text to bring the legislation in line with the decisions of the constitutional court," he said at a news conference on Tuesday night.
A protest march organised by opposition Save Romanian Union (USR) party refuted Iordache's statements on Wednesday. USR members carried slogans reading 'Shame!'.
Some 50,000 people protested on Tuesday night and Wednesday morning in Bucharest and other Romanian cities against the government move seen as an attempt to water down Romania's anti-corruption legislation.
Protests were still ongoing on Wednesday at 14.30 CET in Piata Victoriei square, in front of the government building.
Opposition National Liberal Party (PNL) and USR announced on Wednesday that they are filing a censure motion against the government. PNL leader Raluca Turcan also urged the other parties in parliament to leave it and thus trigger early elections.
Also on Wednesday, the European Commission expressed concern over Romania weakening its fight against corruption.
"The fight against corruption needs to be advanced, not undone. We are following the latest developments in Romania with great concern," European Commission head Jean-Claude Juncker and his deputy, Frans Timmermans, said in a joint statement. "The Commission warns against backtracking and will look thoroughly at the emergency ordinance on the Criminal Code and the Law on Pardons in this light."
(1 euro = 4.5240 lei)