February 1 (SeeNews) - Some 50,000 people protested on Tuesday night and Wednesday morning in Bucharest and other Romanian cities after the government issued a controversial emergency decree easing or eliminating penalties for corruption.
Protesters see the decree as an attempt to weaken the fight against corruption and help several politicians avoid criminal prosecution on graft charges.
The emergency decree, approved by the government at 21.00 CET on Tuesday and hastily published in the country's Official Gazette, decriminalises several offences and makes abuse of office punishable by incarceration 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.
Also, the government decided 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. The government initially intended to grant the pardon by way of an emergency decree.
Police used teargas to disperse some of the people protesting at the gates of the Romanian government headquarters in Victoriei square on Tuesday night.
"Today is a day of mourning for the rule of law in Romania, which was given a massive blow by the people who are against justice and the fight against corruption, "president Klaus Iohannis wrote on Facebook on Tuesday night.
On Wednesday morning, Iohannis said that the emergency decree and pardon bill can be challenged at the Constitutional Court. Iohannis has said he intended to seek a referendum on those issues and has repeatedly opposed the government's plans.
Raluca Turcan, leader of opposition National Liberal Party (PNL) said on Wednesday that the party will file a censure motion against the government and urged the other factions in parliament to leave it and thus trigger early elections.
Some 100,000 people protested on Sunday night in Bucharest after an estimated 48,000 people took part in protests a week earlier against what then were only plans of the government to pardon prisoners and decriminalise some offences. The government has said the measures were needed to cope with overcrowding in Romanian prisons.
An estimated 2,000 people were protesting in front of the government headquarters on Wednesday as at 10.00 CET.
The coalition government of PSD-ALDE led by prime minister Sorin Grindeanu unveiled the drafts of the emergency decree and the pardon bill on January 18.
Romania's attorney general, the supreme court, the chief of the anti-graft department and representatives of the civil society have warned that if the decrees pass, some 2,500 people, including elected officials convicted of corruption will be released.
Justice Minister Florin Iordache said that the two decreees 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.
These are the most massive protests in Romania since November 2015, when thousands marched in the streets after a fire in a night club in Bucharest claimed 64 lives. Back then, former PSD leader Victor Ponta resigned as prime minister under public pressure and was replaced by technocrat Dacian Ciolos.
(1 euro = 4.5038 lei)