BUCHAREST, Romania (AP) – Romania’s president urged the government on Monday to scrap a proposal to pardon thousands of prisoners, a move which has led to major anti-government protests.
President Klaus Iohannis spoke after tens of thousands of people marched through Romania’s capital and other cities on Sunday to protest the initiative, which critics say could reverse anti-corruption efforts.
It was the third large-scale protest to erupt in Romanian cities after Premier Sorin Grindeanu requested an emergency ordinance allowing the government to pardon prisoners to ease prison overcrowding.
Iohannis posted a message on Facebook on Monday, urging the government again to drop the initiative, and said: “The voice of the people can no longer be ignored.”
Justice Minister Florin Iordache defended the proposal, saying it was meant to improve the situation in prisons, adding the government would modify its initial proposal to eliminate unclear passages. He denied the measure was designed to benefit politicians, a number of which have been targeted by the anti-corruption drive in recent years.