Thousands of people rallied in Bucharest on February 24 against a recently adopted emergency decree amending justice legislation which critics say affects prosecutors’ independence. Similar protests were organised in other cities, according to local media.

The rally follows protests organised on February 22 by Romanian magistrates in several cities against the changes to judicial legislation. Prosecutors and judges across the country have said they will halt work for a few days as of February 25.

On February 19, the Romanian government adopted two emergency decrees amending justice legislation. One of the decrees changes the rules for naming top prosecutors and gives more independence to the special section for investigating magistrates. It changes the way Romania’s general prosecutor and the heads of special prosecution units such as the National Anticorruption Directorate (DNA) and the Anti-Organised Crime Directorate (DIICOT), are appointed. The second emergenvy decree sets the framework under which Romania will select its candidates for the European Public Prosecutor’s Office (EPPO).

Thousands of Romanians gathered on February 24 in Bucharest’s Victory Square demanding the government’s resignation. Local media put the total number of participants at between 8,000 and 10,000.

Carrying Romanian and EU flags, the participants chanted “Resignation,” “PSD [the ruling Social Democratic Party], the red plague,” “Thieves” and “Justice, not corruption,” while an EU flag was projected on the government’s headquarters.

Since taking power at the end of 2016, the PSD has been focusing on changing justice legislation. The amendments have been harshly criticised by the European Commission (EC), magistrates and Romania’s foreign partners.

The EU has also criticised the most recent changes to justice legislation by emergecy decree, which it said violated the recommendations made under the Cooperation and Verification Mechanism (MCV), G4Media.ro reported. 

Previous changes to the Romanian justice legislation have led to a series of mass protests in the country. In February 2017, more than half a million Romanians took to the streets, after the government adopted an emergency decree partly decriminalising abuse of office.