BUCHAREST, Romania (AP) - Romania's government adopted an emergency ordinance late Tuesday to decriminalize official misconduct, dealing a blow to the yearslong drive to curb corruption in the eastern European country.

Justice Minister Florin Iordache said the measure will decriminalize cases of official misconduct in which the financial damage is valued at than 200,000 lei ($47,800.) Tens of thousands of Romanians protested against the ordinance in recent weeks, saying it would weaken anti-graft efforts.

After the announcement, protesters gathered outside the main government offices, calling the ruling Social Democratic Party "the red plague."

"This measure will render the anti-corruption fight irrelevant," anti-corruption chief prosecutor Laura Codruta Kovesi told The Associated Press

She said the National Anticorruption Directorate had prosecuted 1,170 cases of abuse in office during the past three years with damages worth euros 1 billion euros ($1.07 billion.)

Iordache said a proposal to pardon thousands of prisoners would be sent for approval to Parliament, where the government has a majority.

Earlier, the anti-corruption agency said the measure would "encourage the abusive behavior of public workers, dishonesty, (and) immorality." About one-third of the agency's prosecutions are related to abuse of office.

The agency said such a development would benefit both future offenders and those currently being investigated.

Iordache denied the proposal was designed to benefit politicians, a number of whom have been caught up in the country's fight against high-level corruption.