An estimated 500,000 Romanians protested against a government decree that would have decriminalized certain graft offenses, despite its withdrawal amid mass demonstrations. Prime Minister Sorin Grindeanu's ruling coalition had passed the ordinance without parliamentary input, leading to the largest protests since the fall of Nicolae Ceausescu in 1989. The government's retreat did not appease demonstrators, who continue to distrust Grindeanu and call for a transparent government. Protests occurred nationwide, with significant turnouts in cities like Timisoara and Cluj-Napoca.

Romanian company Mira Telecom patented bomb detectors similar to those sold by convicted Somerset businessman Jim McCormick. McCormick made £50m selling over 7,000 bogus devices, including to Iraq. Avon and Somerset Police linked Mira Telecom to McCormick's company ATSC through invoices. The devices, costing up to $40,000 each, were deemed ineffectual with no scientific basis. Components were made by Merriott Plastics, which shipped parts to Romania on ATSC's request. Dr. Marian Apostol, from the Institute of Atomic Physics, defended the device's effectiveness but was contradicted by another expert's analysis.