Recent events in Romania are hard to believe.

On January 18, the newly elected Social Democratic Party (PSD) government — in office for only two weeks — proposed a draft “emergency decree” retroactively decriminalizing offenses, commuting sentences, and amnestying convicted criminals.

The stated goal — to address prison overcrowding and avoid a European Union fine. The true goal — to pardon and protect a whole raft of loyal PSD politicians and public officials facing prosecution for crimes such as corruption in office (now decriminalized for sums less than $48,000) among a host of others (pardoned for sentences less than five years).