Hundreds of thousands of Romanians are threatening to hit the streets every evening until the new government repeals a decree that decriminalises low-level official misconduct. On Wednesday protesters turned out for the largest gathering since communism collapsed in 1989. Countries including America and Germany decried the ruling; the European Commission warned that “the fight against corruption needs to be advanced, not undone”. The new legislation could help several high-profile politicians avoid criminal prosecution. Among those likely to benefit is Liviu Dragnea, who serves as the de facto prime minister (a two-year suspended sentence for electoral fraud prohibits him from holding his title formally). Romania hit the bottom of the EU corruption league table in 2014 and has battled graft furiously since. In 2015, the sitting prime minister, five ministers and 21 members of parliament were indicted. That makes the new ruling particularly galling. The people aren’t taking it lying down.