Romanians dig in over corruption standoff
BUCHAREST: Demonstrators in Romania geared up for more protests yesterday over what they see as a worrying backsliding in the fight against corruption, as the political crisis showed no sign of easing. Around 120,000 people took to the streets nationwide overnight, according to media, in a third night of protests against an emergency government decree decriminalising a string of graft offences.
This was down from an estimated 200,000-300,000 the previous night, the most since the fall of communist dictator Nicolae Ceausescu in 1989, but protestors vowed to press on. “I am going to come back every night,” architect Carmen told AFP on Thursday at a chilly downtown Bucharest protest made up mostly of young people. The left-wing government “thinks it can do whatever it likes with full impunity,” the 31-year-old said.
Demonstrators said they would return every day until February 10 when the contentious decree, issued by the leftwing government late Tuesday, is due to enter into force. The measure makes abuse of power punishable by prison only if sums involved exceed 44,000 euros ($47,500). A separate bill would free some 2,500 prisoners on short sentences. The government says it is bringing legislation into line with the constitution and that it wants to reduce overcrowding in prisons.
But critics say that the main beneficiaries will be the many bent officials and politicians ensnared in an anti-corruption drive of recent years that has won Bucharest kudos abroad. Yesterday, the national ombudsman vowed to invoke the constitutional court, saying it was unclear why the abuse of power decree was urgent and citing “imprecision” in the legislation. Between 2014 and 2016, 1,171 people were found guilty of abuse of power and prosecutors are investigating more than 2,000 other cases.
In 2015, 27 officials, including then prime minister Victor Ponta, faced justice. Aside from Ponta, five ministers, 16 lawmakers and five senators went on trial. Washington added to the chorus of alarm Thursday, saying it was “deeply concerned” that the new measures “undermine rule of law and weaken accountability for financial and corruption-related crimes.”
“To sustain Romania’s credibility in the international community, and to remain attractive to investment and ensure continued economic growth, the United States calls on the Romanian government to reverse these actions,” said State Department spokesman Mark Toner. Earlier this week, European Commission head Jean-Claude Juncker and his deputy Frans Timmermans warned against “backtracking” on graft-only a week after an EU report praised the government’s efforts.
PM defiant
But despite signs of some cracks, the ruling Social Democrats (PSD) — who bounced back in elections in December barely a year after protests forced them from office-have remained defiant. “We took a decision in the government and we are going to press ahead,” Prime Minister Sorin Grindeanu said after a PSD meeting on Thursday. PSD leader Liviu Dragnea, currently on trial for abuse of power involving a sum that falls below the new ceiling, hit out at a “campaign of lies and disinformation”.
“I talked to my lawyers. The decree does not put an end to my trial,” he told reporters. Dragnea, 54, is seen as the real power within the PSD. A previous conviction for voter fraud bars him from office. Centre-right President Klaus Iohannis, who has been in an open battle with Dragnea, has welcomed the protests and sought to get the constitutional court to block the government’s decrees. — AFP