February 2 (SeeNews) - Romania's president Klaus Iohannis said on Thursday that he will challenge in court the government decree that eases or scraps penalties for corruption offences.
A day earlier, the Superior Council of Magistracy, CSM, said it challenged in the constitutional court the decree that sparked the biggest protests in Romania since the fall of communism in 1989.
"There is obviously a constitutional conflict between the government, the judicial system and the parliament," Iohannis said during a televised news conference.
On Wednesday, Iohannis sent a letter to the coalition government of Social Democrat Party (PSD) and ALDE, asking it to revoke the decree.
On Thursday, PSD vice-president Mihai Chirica called for the resignation of justice minister Florin Iordache and urged the government to repeal the decree after a record 300,000 people gathered on Wednesday night in Bucharest and other Romanian cities in the biggest rallies since the fall of communism in 1989 to protest against the government's attempt to weaken the fight against corruption and help politicians avoid criminal prosecution on graft charges.
An estimated 150,000 people protested in Bucharest only and a total of 150,000 marched through the streets of 50 other cities, according to the interior affairs ministry. Romanians living abroad also expressed their dissatisfaction with the government backtracking on the fight against corruption, holding protests in Paris, London, Brussels,Turin, Oslo, Copenhagen, Dublin and many others, Romanian media reported.
Protests in Piata Victoriei square in Bucharest were peaceful until 21.00 CET, when a group of football fans attacked riot police, forcing them to use teargas. The group, allegedly supporters of Romania's Dinamo football club, discussed their plans to infiltrate protest rallies in public posts on Facebook. As a result of the clashes, three football fans and two gendarmerie officers were taken to hospital, the interior ministry said. Some of the peaceful protesters who were affected by teargas also needed medical care.
Some 50 people who acted violently were arrested.
As a result of the protests, the technocrat minister responsible for business environment in the coalition government of left-wing Social Democrat Party (PSD) and centre-right Liberal-Democrat Alliance (ALDE), Florin Jianu, resigned on Thursday morning.
On Wednesday, some PSD members such as ex-minister delegate for social dialogue and the relationship with civil society in 2014, Aurelia Cristea, resigned from the party in disagreement over the decree which will benefit corrupt politicians.
PSD is summoning all of its regional leaders in Bucharest on Thursday in order to discuss the heightened tensions in the country and decide whether the party will organize counter protests.
Opposition National Liberal Party (PNL) and Save Romania Union (USR) said on Wednesday they filed a censure motion against the government. PNL leader Raluca Turcan urged the other parties in parliament to leave it and thus trigger early elections.
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