Protests have
\ncontinued in Romania against an emergency decree amending the Criminal Code and
\nthe Criminal Procedure Code, adopted on January 31st by the
\ncoalition government led by the Social Democrats. Under the pressure of massive
\nstreet protests, the government repealed the emergency decree on Sunday, but
\nrallies continued in spite of this, for the 6th consecutive day.
\nHundreds of thousands of people took part in demonstrations across the country.
\nMost of them gathered in front of the government offices in the Victory Square.
\n<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
\n
\n
\n
<\/p>\n
The emergency
\ndecree repealed, they were now demanding the resignation of the government
\nheaded by Sorin Grindeanu over what they described as the devious manner in
\nwhich the government passed the decree, late at night and without consulting
\nwith the Superior Council of Magistracy. Here’s what the people say:<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
\n
\n
\n
<\/p>\n
Who can trust
\nthese people anymore? We can’t. They have compromised themselves. <\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
\n
\n
\n
<\/p>\n
We’ve only just
\nhad elections and they’ve already made fools of us and our vote. This is why
\nwe’re protesting. <\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
\n
\n
\n
<\/p>\n
People took to the streets in other
\nRomanian cities as well, with the highest numbers being reported in Cluj Napoca
\nand Sibiu, in the centre, in Timisoara, in the west, and in Iasi, in the
\nnortheast. Romanians living abroad also took to the streets in cities like
\nSofia, Brussels, Paris, London, Amsterdam, Barcelona, Rome and Madrid. Radio Romania’s correspondent talked to some
\nof the protesters in Hungary’s capital Budapest, most of them young people:<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
\n
\n
\n
<\/p>\n
I’m here because I won’t believe it
\nuntil I see it. Even if they published the repeal of the emergency decree in
\nthe Official Journal, that doesn’t rule out the possibility of them still
\ntaking steps to have it their way. <\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
\n
\n
\n
<\/p>\n
Repealing the
\ndecree is not enough anymore, and just like the rest of the world who now
\nunderstands what’s going on, I want the government to be changed. <\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
\n
\n
\n
<\/p>\n
The government
\nalso has its own supporters who want the result of the December 11th
\nelection to be respected and the Government installed a month ago to be left to
\ndo its job, based on the programme presented during the election campaign.
\nAlso, the government supporters are unhappy with the manner in which the
\nrightist head of state Klaus Iohannis, constrained by the election’s outcome to
\nwork together with the government, has mediated between the state institutions
\nin the decree matter. So on Sunday, several thousand people gathered in front
\nof the presidential headquarters to show their support for the Grindeanu
\ngovernment and to ask for President Iohannis to step down. <\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
\n
\n
\n
<\/p>\n
I want him to
\nrespect my vote, to respect all Romanians, be a president for all Romanians and
\nlove his country the way I do, with all my heart.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
\n
\n
\n
<\/p>\n
We are here to
\ndefend our democratic vote from December 11. Protesters in the Victory Square
\nshould go home because the decree has been repealed and if they don’t, we won’t
\nleave either. <\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
\n
\n
\n
<\/p>\n
I’m here to show
\nmy disapproval of Iohannis, who is paid to serve the national interest and not
\npetty, personal, party interests or God knows what other hidden interests. <\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
\n
\n
\n
<\/p>\n
Prime Minister
\nSorin Grindeanu has announced he does not intend to resign under pressure from
\nprotesters in the street:<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
\n
\n
\n
<\/p>\n
This is all part
\nof the democratic game and we must go back to these notions as soon as
\npossible. The government can only fall following a vote of no-confidence in
\nParliament, because the alternative of my submitting my resignation is not
\npossible.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
\n
\n
\n
<\/p>\n
Prime Minister
\nGrindeanu asked the Justice Ministry to initiate urgent public debates with
\nparliamentary parties and civil society on the content of the emergency decree
\nadopted recently and repealed soon after. The government says these debates are
\nvery important in order to harmonise the Criminal Code and the Criminal
\nprocedure Code with the Constitutional Court’s rulings and with the European
\ndirectives. The draft law resulted after these public debates should then be
\nsubmitted to Parliament for debate. In the meantime, Parliament is preparing to
\ndebate and vote on a no-confidence motion entitled The Grindeanu Government -
\nThe government of national defiance. Don’t legalise theft in Romania and
\ntabled by the National Liberal Party and the Save Romania Union, in opposition.
\n<\/p>\n
\n
\n
\n
<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
The Governments emergency decree on amending the criminal codes has been repealed, but this does not seem to ease tensions in Romania.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":109,"featured_media":72007,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[37738],"tags":[28990,116464],"coauthors":[],"class_list":["post-72006","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-today-in-the-news","tag-protests","tag-romania-en"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n