Romanian President Blocks Changes to Penal Code

President Klaus Iohannis said on Monday that he will not sign off proposed changes to the criminal code as "the changes are not in the MPs's own interests".

His announcement follows parliament's decision last week to approve an amendment to the criminal code by which prosecutors will only be able to arrest someone preventively if they have solid evidence that that person has broken the law.

Until now, prosecutors have been able to make arrests acting on "reasonable suspicions" that someone has broken the law.

The members of the Senate who initiated this bill said that since the penal code was modified in February, preventive arrest has become the rule in corruption cases when it should be exceptional.

Iohannis's decision puts the President on collision course with the centre-left government of Prime Minister Victor Ponta.

The planned changes in the penal code were criticised both by civic activists and foreign embassies who called them an attempt to protect politicians from investigation.

Media reports say some MPs have lobbied for more changes to the criminal code, which would make arrests and remand more difficult, reduce sentences and introduce a new offence: abuse of power by judicial bodies.

Romania is still considered one of the most corrupt states in the European Union and has made only limited progress in fighting graft and organised crime since it joined the EU in 2007.

The country has drawn repeated criticism from the European Commission for its failure to tackle the problem.

The last couple of years have seen progress, however. The anti-corruption prosecutor's office says around 30 current or former members of parliament have either been convicted or are on trial for corruption-related offences.