Romanian Deputy PM Quits Over Bribery Scandal Details

Romania's Deputy Prime Minister Dragoș Anastasiu resigned after it was revealed he and his company, Eurolines, acted as witnesses in a bribery case involving €150,000 in payments to a tax inspector from the Romanian tax agency ANAF between 2009 and 2017. The bribes, disguised as consulting fees, were described by Anastasiu as 'survival bribes' paid under state pressure and blackmail to avoid penalties. Anastasiu and his staff were never charged and had reported the corruption to authorities, resulting in the inspector's conviction and five-year prison sentence in 2023. Anastasiu resigned to prevent the scandal from undermining the government's reform efforts, including austerity measures and the restructuring of state-owned enterprises. He had only recently taken office to lead these high-profile reforms. The resignation comes amid widespread public protests and ongoing political instability in Romania.