BUCHAREST: Romania's Social Democrat government of Prime Minister Sorin Grindeanu on Sunday repealed a decree decriminalising some graft offences, a government source said.

"The decree was scrapped," a government official told Reuters, adding that an official statement would be released soon.

Romania's prime minister said on Saturday he was would scrap the decree following mass protests. It would have shielded dozens of politicians from prosecution for corruption. </s> BUCHAREST (Reuters) - Romania's Social Democrat government of Prime Minister Sorin Grindeanu on Sunday repealed a decree decriminalizing some graft offences, a government source said.

"The decree was scrapped," a government official told Reuters, adding that an official statement would be released soon.

Romania's prime minister said on Saturday he was would scrap the decree following mass protests. It would have shielded dozens of politicians from prosecution for corruption. </s> Romania’s government is ot scrap a decree decriminalising some graft offences, Prime Minister Sorin Grindeanu said on Saturday, as some 140,000 demonstrators protested against the law a stone’s throw from his office.

“We’ll hold an extraordinary meeting on Sunday to repeal the decree, withdraw, cancel it … you understand, and find a legal way to make sure it does not take effect,” Grindeanu said in televised speech from the cabinet’s headquarters.

Călin Tăriceanu, head of the ALDE party – a junior partner of the ruling Social Democrats – told Romania TV: “This [happens] because we have nothing to hide.”

The news came after a fifth consecutive day of protests against the proposed law, which saw tens of thousands of Romanians take to the streets all around the country. An even bigger turnout had been predicted for Sunday. 



Grindeanu said the proposal would be sent to parliament for debate. The prime minister said he did not want to “divide Romania” and that “Romania in this moment seems broken in two.” The country’s constitutional court is expected to rule next week on whether the measure was legal.

Earlier on Saturday the coalition government had hinted that it was considering backing down on the legislation. Liviu Dragnea, head of the ruling Social Democratic party, had told DC News that he was meeting Grindeanu to propose a solution. “We can possibly talk about repealing the decree, if the prime minister agrees,” Dragnea had said.

The overtures were not, however, enough to deter protesters. Thousands of Romanians formed a human chain around the Palace of the Parliament in Bucharest and there were also large-scale protests in the cities of Cluj, Timişoara, Sibiu, Constanța and Braşov.



The government had come under pressure at home and abroad to repeal the emergency decree passed on Wednesday, which waters down the country’s anti-corruption measures. </s> Romania has repealed a decree decriminalising some corruption offences after days of mass protest.

"The decree was scrapped," a government official told Reuters, adding that an official statement would be released soon.

Yesterday Romania's Prime Minister Sorin Grindeanu said he would hold an emergency meeting to scrap the decree, which sparked the biggest protests in Romania since the end of communism in 1989.

“I don't want to divide Romania... Romania in this moment seems broken in two,” Mr Grindeanu said. </s> MOSCOW (Sputnik) — Romanian Prime Minister Sorin Grindeanu said Monday he was considering firing the justice chief over his handling of the scrapped decree that sought to relax anti-corruption rules.

The embattled minister argued on Thursday that all legal initiatives he had taken responsibility for were "lawful and constitutional."

"I have decided to resign from the post of justice minister," Iordache told reporters, as quoted by the Romanian news agency Аgerpres.

Thousands of people took to the streets in Romania last week to express their discontent over amendments to the country’s Criminal Code issued by the government. The amendments envisaged reduced penalties for some graft offenses and pardon for several groups of prisoners. Although the amendments were repealed on Sunday, the protests demanding the resignation of the government have continued. </s> Romania's top judicial watchdog announced a court challenge on Wednesday to a government decree decriminalising some graft offences in what critics say is the biggest retreat on reforms since the country joined the European Union a decade ago. People take part in a demonstration to protest against government plans to reform some criminal laws through emergency decree, in front of the government headquarters Victoria Palace in Bucharest, Romania, January 29, 2017.

Start the conversation, or Read more at Channelnewsasia.com. </s> Romania government may back down on misconduct law

BUCHAREST, Romania (AP) — The chairman of Romania's governing party has suggested that the government could back down in the face of massive protests against an ordinance which would decriminalize official misconduct.

In the first concession floated by the center-left government since the crisis broke out last month, party chairman Liviu Dragnea said Saturday in an interview with DC News he would meet Prime Minister Sorin Grindeanu to "propose a solution."

Dragnea says, "we can possibly talking about repealing the decree if the prime minister agrees." Dragnea controls the government, and his comments suggest the matter has already been decided.

On Saturday, thousands of Romanians took to the streets for a fifth consecutive day to protest the decree that waters down the country's anti-corruption fight, sparking condemnation at home and abroad </s> BUCHAREST, Feb 8 (Reuters) - Romania's month-old government expects to easily survive a no-confidence motion and "get back to work" on Wednesday, the prime minister said, after mass street protests forced it into an embarrassing U-turn over a graft decree.

Critics said the decree, which also drew condemnation from Romania's Western allies, would have turned back the clock on the fight against corruption in the ex-communist nation. The government rescinded the decree on Sunday.

Despite the scale of the protests, the largest Romania has seen since the 1989 fall of communism, the ruling Social Democrats and their allies have a large majority in parliament after winning a December election.

"This motion has no scope and no target," Prime Minister Sorin Grindeanu told lawmakers at the start of the debate on the motion. "I do hope that as of today we get back to work."

Grindeanu, whose government has been badly shaken by the protests, pledged not to consider any further initiatives similar to the decree "that could awake powerful emotions in society without proper and wide debate".

The decree would have decriminalised a number of graft offences and effectively shielded dozens of public officials from prosecution for graft.

Before the debate, around a dozen protesters wrote RESIST in the snow that had fallen overnight in front of the government headquarters. But the number of people attending daily protests - which reached a quarter of a million on Sunday - has fallen sharply since the government's climbdown.

The text of the no-confidence motion, signed by 123 members of opposition parties, read: "Romanian society has been betrayed and the citizen has been lied to by those who were granted his vote during the election."

Raluca Turcan, the leader of the centre-right National Liberal party, told the debate: "The only solution is your urgent resignation. You must pay with your jobs."

Social Democrat sources, speaking on condition of anonymity, have told Reuters they expect Justice Minister Florin Iordache to submit his resignation on Wednesday.

Parliament must still endorse the government's decision to rescind the graft decree. That vote is expected to come towards the end of the week. (Additional reporting by Luiza Ilie; Editing by Matt Robinson and Gareth Jones) </s> Critics said the decree, which also drew rebukes from Romania's Western allies, would have turned back the clock on the fight against corruption in the ex-communist nation of 20 million people. The government rescinded the decree on Sunday.

"I do hope that as of today we get back to work," Prime Minister Sorin Grindeanu told lawmakers before the vote.

At least 5,000 protesters gathered outside government headquarters late on Wednesday to demand the cabinet's resignation, despite a snowstorm, subzero temperatures and power blackouts. "We exist, we resist," they chanted.

Separately, an estimated 200 pro-government protesters gathered outside centrist President Klaus Iohannis' office in support of Grindeanu. Iohannis briefly went outside to talk to them but they refused dialogue.

The Social Democrats and their allies control nearly two thirds of parliament seats after winning a December election. They abstained in Wednesday's vote, when 161 lawmakers backed the no-confidence motion and eight voted against.

The government, however, has been badly shaken by the protests, some of the largest in Romania since the 1989 fall of communism, and opposition parties vowed after Wednesday's vote to continue their close scrutiny of the ruling party's actions.

One minister resigned last week saying he could not support the decree. Grindeanu said a decision on whether to dismiss Justice Minister Florin Iordache, the decree's architect, would be announced on Thursday.

Opposition deputy Catalin Predoiu said of the no-confidence motion: "This is a warning signal that we managed to gather the votes of the whole opposition and it also shows that whenever the new government derails we will gather and sanction it."

Grindeanu said his government would not consider any further initiatives similar to the rescinded decree "that could awake powerful emotions in society without proper and wide debate".

The decree would have decriminalized a number of graft offences and effectively shielded dozens of public officials from prosecution for graft.

The number of people attending daily protests - which reached a quarter of a million on Sunday - has fallen since the government's climbdown.

Parliament must still endorse the government's decision to rescind the graft decree.

Social Democrat Party leader Liviu Dragnea, who is on trial in an abuse of office case and could have benefited from the decree, said the repeal should be discussed and approved in parliament as soon as possible.

Earlier on Wednesday the Constitutional Court rejected challenges on procedural grounds brought against the rescinded decree by President Iohannis and the top magistrates' council.

The court said it would reconvene on Thursday to consider a separate challenge brought by Romania's ombudsman against the content of the decree.

Romania remains one of the poorest and most graft-prone member states of the European Union, which it joined in 2007.
Romanian Prime Minister Sorin Grindeanu announces that his government will scrap its proposed decree of decriminalizing some graft offenses on Sunday.