From Courts to Spies, Romanian Coalition Hounds Opponents

Romania’s government started an investigation against a former anti-corruption prosecutor, a move that opponents say fits into a pattern of going after critics through administrative means including budget cuts.

The Social Democratic-led administration has followed its regional counterparts in Hungary and Poland in pursuing an overhaul of the legal system despite criticism from opposition figures and the European Union that it is eroding democratic standards. During the drive, it has enacted changes to water down a criminal code that has led to convictions of scores of officials in the ruling party and barred its leader, Liviu Dragnea, from becoming prime minister.