Bucharest: After five straight days of spirited mass protests, and predictions that a half-million or more people might take to the streets on Sunday, Romania's month-old government backed down Saturday and withdrew a decree that had decriminalised some corruption offences.
"We will hold an extraordinary meeting on Sunday to repeal the decree, withdraw it, cancel it," Prime Minister Sorin Grindeanu said late on Saturday evening Romanian time.
It was a remarkable and rapid turnaround for a government that had shown every sign of holding firm against the protests.
As recently as Thursday, Grindeanu said: "We took a decision in the government, and we are going to press ahead."
As word of the government's retreat spread through the Piata Victoriei - the square outside the main government building that has been the centre of the protests - a subdued wave of celebration passed through the throng of more than 100,000 people, mixing with grim determination to continue the fight if needed.
"I feel a bit better, but it isn't enough," said Mihai Saru, 20, a student.
"They lost our trust when they released this emergency ordinance in the night. How do we know it won't happen again in two weeks, a month? But tonight is a little victory."
Chants mixed with blaring horns as protesters listened to the prime minister's announcement on their phones. "Thieves!" many yelled. In a show of patriotic solidarity, the crowd broke into the national anthem, but the demonstrations continued into the night.
"This doesn't change anything," said Diana Popescu, 42, an economist. "They still lied. This government isn't honest. We don't want to be represented by a government of liars."
The combination of the mass protests, which showed no signs of abating, and growing international condemnation seems to have weakened the government's resolve. Even the Romanian Orthodox Church, normally a solid supporter of the government, criticised the decree.
"The United States is deeply concerned about the government of Romania's recent measures that undermine rule of law and weaken accountability for financial and corruption-related crimes," Mark Toner, a State Department spokesman, said on Thursday.
The first cracks in the government's resolve appeared Saturday afternoon, when Liviu Dragnea, the president of the governing Social Democratic Party and its most powerful figure, told a local news outlet that the decree could well be withdrawn in an attempt to avert civil conflict. Dragnea said he was not sure he could "keep in check" his own party's supporters.
"Romania needs peace and stability in order to move towards prosperity, development and democracy," he said.
The emergency decree was to take effect at midnight Friday. The constitutional court said it would try to issue its ruling before then, but the looming deadline added energy to the protests.
New York Times