Hundreds of people gathered in Victory Square in Bucharest, Romania, demanding judicial reform and urging Prime Minister Ilie Bolojan to act against corruption in the judiciary. Protesters carried banners reading “Bolojan, Romania is looking for you” and called for the resignation of Interior Minister and Deputy Prime Minister Catalin Predoiu.
The demonstrations were triggered by a documentary alleging systemic corruption and political influence within the judicial system, after which around 700 judges and prosecutors signed an open letter warning of deep-rooted abuses. Similar large-scale protests have also taken place in Slovakia and Hungary in recent days over rule of law and government accountability concerns.