Romania captured the world’s attention last week when hundreds of thousands of people took to the streets, protesting a government decree that many saw as backtracking on fighting corruption.

Corruption is an endemic problem across Eastern Europe. But Romania’s long struggle against it has placed the issue at the center of its political debate. The government decree would have decriminalized some corruption offenses, which alarmed Romanian judges and prosecutors. In Brussels, the European Commission expressed concern, as many people inside and outside Romania feared the decree could undermine the rule of law in one of Europe’s youngest democracies.

Although the government revoked the decree and survived a no-confidence vote on Wednesday, opponents vowed to continue to fight, and on Thursday the justice minister, Florin Iordache, submitted his resignation.

As the protests intensified last week, The New York Times asked Romanians to share their personal encounters with corruption. They spoke of constant, everyday bribery — at hospitals, schools and public institutions. Some people felt helpless, saying that corruption was a deeply rooted cultural problem. Many were infuriated by the government’s decree, which would have directly benefited some prominent politicians, and feared the edict could erode the country’s long-term commitment to fighting corruption.