Romania Debates Disputed Legal Plans After Massive Protests
- Demonstrators oppose planned bill to pardon some offenders
- President initated referendum procedure over disputed plan
This article is for subscribers only.
Romania is debating changes to the criminal code that have sparked fury over the rule of law and triggered the biggest street protests since the fall of Communism.
The amendments, which include pardoning certain crimes and halting anti-graft probes into some officials, were discussed with the public Monday at the Justice Ministry in Bucharest. About 90,000 people demonstrated Sunday in a second weekend of dissent, with at least 50,000 rallying in the capital alone. Protesters back a long-standing anti-corruption drive and want Justice Minister Florin Iordache to quit. He said he’ll amend the proposals and decide how to move forward after the debates.