Eurasia Press & News
Over 10,000 people have gathered in Victoriei square outside the government building in central Bucharest Wednesday morning to demonstrate against the administration’s austerity measures, as the Cabinet faces a confidence vote in Parliament.
Protesters continue to join demonstrations and union leaders have said they expect as many as 100,000 to come. Traffic in the Romanian capital is restricted in the demonstration areas.
Demonstrators are to march up through the city center to the Parliament building, where lawmakers soon start debates on the no-confidence motion submitted by the country’s opposition social democrats and liberals.
The motion needs the votes of 236 lawmakers to pass and topple the Government and the opposition only has 212 seats in the 471-seat legislature. Lawmakers of the ruling Democratic Liberal Party have decided to abstain from voting and allied coalition members have said they wouldn’t vote against the Cabinet.
Romania has implemented harsh cost-cutting measures this summer to meet the demands of a EUR20 billion IMF-led international loan agreed last year. The measures, which have sparked mounting social unrest, include a 25% cut in public salaries, a controversial pension reform, public sector layoffs and tax raises.
