Romanian SocDem leader: Govt. won’t change Penal Code through emergency ordinance

Romania’s Government has no intention of adopting an emergency ordinance to change the Penal Code, Social Democratic Party (PSD) leader Liviu Dragnea announced on Monday, April 16. “This procedure will start in the Parliament, with a wide debate,” Dragnea said, according to local Agerpres. “I’m sure that it will be similar to the Justice Laws, with music and dance, and everything needed,” he added. He made this statement after justice minister Tudorel Toader said the Government was ready to adopt an emergency ordinance to change the Penal Code if needed. The PSD leader also added that there is no political consensus yet on redefining abuse of office, which is one of the most important changes the ruling coalition wants to bring to the Penal Code. “As far as I know, there are over ten options on the table,” Dragnea said, adding that the special parliamentary committee for changing the justice laws would analyze all these options and others to be received during the public debate. The ruling PSD-ALDE coalition have been trying to change the Penal Code since early 2017, after they took power. Their attempt to pass the changes by emergency ordinance, at the end of January 2017, triggered the biggest street protests Romania has seen in over 20 years, forcing the government to repeal the ordinance. The government wanted to set a RON 200,000 damage threshold under which abuse of office would not be considered a criminal offence. The project then moved to the Parliament, where several other options have been discussed, including redefining abuse of office all together. The changes to the Penal Code are a thorny issue in Romania, as the opposition and civic groups see this as an attempt to weaken the fight against corruption and protect corrupt public officials. Romanian Parliament passes justice laws once again editor@romania-insider.com