December 4 (SeeNews) - A thousand people again rallied on Sunday night in Bucharest and other Romanian cities to oppose controversial changes to the fiscal code announced by the government and to support the fight against corruption.
Some 500 people protested at Piata Victoriei, in front of the government building in Bucharest, against an emergency decree introducing changes to the fiscal code that was issued by the government at the beginning of November, as well as against government plans to appoint Romania's chief prosecutor without the consent of the president.
As many people gathered in protest rallies in five cities across the country, local media reported.
Sunday's protests were peaceful all over the country, unlike protests that took place on Saturday in Piata Victoriei against a decision of the Bucharest city hall to organise a Christmas fair in the city square where people traditionally gather for anti-corruption demonstrations.
On Saturday, hundreds of people started to dismantle the fences put up by fair organisers. Three of them were arrested by the riot police and fined 7,000 lei ($1,800/1,500 euro), according to a press release of the interior ministry.
Following the events, the mayor of Bucharest and ruling social democrat party PSD member Gabriela Firea announced that the fair will be moved to a different location.
This was the fifth straight Sunday of protests in Romania.
Video posted by civic organisation Initiativa Romania on December 2.
On November 8, Romania's governing coalition comprising PSD and centre-right Liberal-Democrat Alliance (ALDE) approved an emergency decree to change the country's fiscal code starting January 2018. The changes, which have drawn fire from businesses, stipulate that workers will have to pay the social security contributions currently paid by employers, while income tax will drop from 16% to 10%.
In the view of employees, the changes will not increase their net salaries, as the government claims, and will only complicate their fiscal position.
At the beginning of November, businesses and Romanian president Klaus Iohannis asked the governing coalition to abandon the planned tax changes which in their opinion will lead to fiscal chaos.
People also protested against against PSD's plans to make possible the appointment of Romania's chief prosecutors by the justice minister, without the control of the president.
(1 euro =4.6422 lei)