Romania's ruling government survives no-confidence vote

Feb. 8 (UPI) -- The Romanian government under Prime Minister Sorin Grindeanu has survived a no-confidence vote but anti-corruption protesters plan to continue their efforts.

The political opposition failed to reach 50 percent support in the vote after members of Parliament belonging to the three-party ruling coalition abstained on Wednesday.

Grindeanu's ruling Social Democratic Party, or PSD, which won a decisive electoral victory in December, has been criticized for attempting to push through a decree that protesters said would protect corrupt government officials.

The decree would have decriminalized corruption for transactions under $47,500. Anyone serving a sentence of less than five years would have seen the charges dropped and would have been released from prison.

Romanian President Klaus Iohannis, an opposition member of the National Liberal Party, accused the PSD of plunging Romania into a political crisis by issuing the decree, which was repealed after massive protests. Iohannis called the PSD's move a "strange kamikaze strategy."

Despite the government repealing the decree, more protests are planned for this weekend. More than 500,000 people have taken part in protests so far.

Iohannis has the power to dismiss the government, but has ruled out calling early elections at this point. Many protesters are calling for Grindeanu to resign.

"The repeal of the decree and the possible sacking of a minister is too little," Iohannis told Parliament on Tuesday. "If the PSD, which has created this crisis, fails to resolve the crisis immediately, I will summon all the political parties for talks."

Romania's Constitutional Court this week will rule on whether the PSD's decree is unconstitutional. Grindeanu vowed to issue new legislation and some protesters fear it could contain elements similar to the repealed decree. The Constitutional Court's decision is expected to affect any further bills similar to the original.