BUCHAREST, Romania (AP) – The leader of Romania’s ruling center-left coalition says the government won’t resign following the biggest demonstrations since the end of communism against a measure that would ease up on corruption.
Social Democratic chairman Liviu Dragnea emerged from a meeting with governing partners Monday saying that “we unreservedly expressed our support for the government … and the prime minister.”
On Sunday, the government backed down following six days of street protests from an emergency ordinance that would decriminalize abuse in office by officials if the amount involved was less than about $48,500. It plans to introduce another version of the law in Parliament, where it has a majority.
Dragnea, the major power broker in the government, is banned from being prime minister because of conviction in April 2016 for vote rigging.