"We made the decision two days ago. We must move forward. Legally," Grindeanu was quoted as saying by Agerpres news agency.
On Tuesday, the Romanian authorities, formed by the Social Democratic Party (PSD) and the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats (ALDE), approved the amendments to the country’s Criminal Code on pardons and amnesties for certain prisoners, namely those over 60 years old, pregnant women and parents of small children, as well as those who were sentenced for less than five years, excluding the people convicted for criminal and sexual offense.
The government also issued a controversial emergency decree reducing the penalties for corruption, which would allow several politicians to avoid criminal prosecution. The emergency decree decriminalizes a number offenses and makes abuse of power punishable by incarceration only if the sums involved are higher than $48,000.
The new regulation resulted in mass protests across the country, harsh criticism by the international community, and, in particular, by Brussels.
