The Communist-era Criminal Code was replaced by the 1996 Penal Code, which widened the scope of penal law by adding statutes dealing with felonies such as money laundering. Controversial components included Article 200, which punished public homosexual relations, libel statutes, and articles dealing with offense to public authorities. The Helsinki Committee s Association for Human Rights in Romania alleged that police routinely use cruel and abusive tactics. Relations with the Hungarian minority remain strained over amendments to the education law and parliament s reluctance to allow for the creation of a German-Hungarian state university. In March, President Constantinescu made an unprecedented gesture of conciliation by congratulating ethnic Hungarians on their national day previously a cause of tension and disputes between Romanians and Hungarians, who are concentrated in Transylvania.
Corruption is endemic in the government bureaucracy, civil service, and business.
Property rights are secure, though the ability for citizens to start businesses is encumbered by red tape, corruption, bribery, and organized crime. There are no restrictions on travel within the country, and citizens who want to change their place of residence do not face any official barriers. Women have equal rights with men, and several women s organizations address such issues and job discrimination, domestic violence, and rape.