Hundreds of thousands of protesters have braved sub zero temperatures across Romania, calling on the government to resign for issuing decrees that critics fear will free corrupt officials from jail early and shield others from conviction.
It's the third day of protests and demonstrators like Alex say they won't stop until the government changes its decision.
"They should withdraw the decree and say, 'All right, we're withdrawing it, we want no more corruption.' I think that if people in this system, and there are very good people here, in all parties, would come out and defend citizens' interests and would put aside those who don't do that, a very positive signal would be sent and the ones that will come after that will be more fearful about doing something illegal."
Despite nationwide uproar, the government is standing its ground.
Liviu Dragnea, the leader of the ruling leftwing Social Democrats party, claims the move has his party's full support.
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"We are determined to go and exercise the executive and legislative power, legitimately and constitutionally granted by the citizens. We consider that any attempt to undermine the government's activity is an attempt to destabilise order in Romania through more or less legal means."
The move decriminalises official misconduct if the funds involved are less than $60,000.
It would potentially put a halt to an ongoing trial into Mr Dragnea, who was barred from becoming prime minister after a vote rigging conviction last year.
The government said the order, and another draft bill on jail pardons, are needed to ease prison overcrowding and bring the criminal code into line with recent constiutional court rulings.
The decision has drawn international condemnation.
The EU's execuitive arm, the European Commission has expressed concern.
And in an unprecedented move, the US, Canada, Germany, France, the Netherlands and Belgium have issued a joint statement calling for a repeal of the decree and underlining the importance of the fight against corruption.
Romania's President Klaus Iohannis said he will take the decree to the Constitutional Court as the last legal resort to stop the emergency decrees passing into law.
"I've decided to notify the Constitutional Court. In my opinion and in the opinion of the lawyers of the presidential administration, it is obviously a juridicial conflict of constitutional nature between the government on one side and the justice system and parliament on the other. This document is on its way and will be handed over in a few minutes to the Constitutional Court."
The decree is set to take effect in just over a week.
