'Instability Developing in Romania Over Blatant Government Corruption'

[Navarro]

"Romania's government has rejected calls to resign after mass nationwide protests forced it to scrap a controversial decree that would have decriminalised some corruption offences ... the largest protests since the fall of communism in 1989 ... government on Sunday rescinded the decree, which would have shielded dozens of politicians from prosecution ... even after the government's embarrassing U-turn, an estimated 500,000 protesters all over the country took to the streets later on Sunday chanting 'We don't believe you, we won't give up' ... the leader of the ruling centre-left coalition and the chief target of the protesters' anger, said on Monday that the government would not resign ...Dragnea, head of the Social Democrat Party (PSD), was convicted of electoral fraud in a 2012 referendum and was barred from taking a role in the cabinet. After the PSD and their liberal junior partners ALDE won the December elections, Dragnea hand-picked Sorin Grindeanu to head his cabinet. Had it survived, the decree would have cleared Dragnea of his suspended two-year sentence for vote rigging and this could have meant that he would finally be legally allowed to occupy the coveted prime minister's seat ... 'said that they had a very comfortable majority in the elections in December and they saw no reason to resign' ... Grindeanu, the prime minister, told broadcaster Antena3 that he had no plans to step down. 'I will not resign,' he said. Only the parliament could force him to go, but he had a definite majority there, Grindeanu added ... The Romanian government is also facing a no-confidence vote filed by the opposition Liberals and Save Romania Union. Dragnea said that his party will fully support Grindeanu in the upcoming no-confidence motion"
http://www.aljazeera.com/news/2017/02/government-defies-calls-quit-mass-rallies-170206142900818.html

[youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e0Ya2xBGxfs[/youtube][youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lDdgoJxjZhk[/youtube]

 

[Navarro]

"Romania's Social Democrat-led government has survived a parliamentary vote of no-confidence ... 161 MPs voted in support of the motion, short of the 232 votes needed for it to pass. The Social Democrats and their allies control nearly two thirds of the seats in parliament after winning a December election. They abstained from Wednesday's vote. ... For over a week, hundreds of thousands of people have protested against the government after it passed a decree to decriminalise some official corruption. ... The motion will now be debated by the parliament. ... Romania's president, said ... he was pleased that protesters cared about the future of Romania and made their feelings known"
http://www.aljazeera.com/news/2017/02/sdp-led-government-survives-confidence-vote-170208140726449.html