Romanian deputies voted on Tuesday a series of changes to the law aimed at allowing people’s access to their own file from the archives of the ex-Communist secret police, the Securitate, and at revealing the Securitate as a political police institution.

The legislation, known as the Ticu Law after its strongest supporter, anti-Communist Ticu Dumitrescu, is still due to receive the support of the Senate, the deciding chamber of the Parliament in this case.

The far-right Greater Romania Party was joined by the largest opposition group, the Social Democrats (PSD) in opposing the new law, but it was passed with the support of all the political groups forming the current governing coalition.

The legislation forces people who hold public offices, starting with the head of state to the heads of the local branches of the intelligence services, to take responsibility on statements that they were or were not collaborators of the Communist political police. If truth is hidden they will be considered to have breached the law.

The same legislation allows anybody to request information to a possible status of Securitate agent for a larger category of public servants or dignitaries.