Romanian streets see protests over corruption cases of Ciprian Ciucu and Dominic Fritz

Hundreds of thousands of demonstrators gathered in Bucharest to protest recent judicial actions against former Justice Minister Ciprian Ciucu and Timișoara mayor Dominic Fritz. #Rezist and other civic platforms organized a march in Victory Square, framing the legal moves as an assault on democracy and the rule of law. Ciucu was charged with bribery, alleged to have received cash from real‑estate and gambling interests, while Fritz was declared permanently ineligible for public office until 2030 for a conflict‑of‑interest violation.

The protests were timed amid ongoing negotiations over the formation of a new government led by Adrian Veștea, internal disputes within the ruling PNL, and broader concerns about political capture of the justice system. Organisers called for the defence of democratic institutions and condemned what they described as a “state under siege.”