Romanian protests prompt resignation of minister and presidential response

Protests against austerity and poor living conditions enter their second week. People continued to gather in the main cities of Romania, but the University Square in Bucharest remained the central gathering point for people disillusioned with the status quo.

Peaceful protesters are calling for the resignation of President Traian Basescu and of the government lead by prime-minister Emil Boc. Seeing that protesters are not losing steam, PM Emil Boc revoked on Monday Teodor Baconschi, the minsiter of foreign affairs, who called the protesters “a population manipulated by TV stations, and frightened by apocalyptic scenarios” in a blog entry. Cristian Diaconescu of UNPR, a party of the current political coalition, was appointed minsiter.

Traian Basescu said yesterday, during the appointment of Diaconescu, that a “joy” of demolition is observed in Romania, and that TV stations owned by former Securitatea members, the secret units used by the communist party to prevent regime changes, have promoted the disaster in Romania both at a national and international level.            

Basescu, who had tears in his eyes, looking affected by the turn of events, accused opposition politicians for using people’s dissatisfaction for their own political cause, reminding everyone that he was elected president during 2009, when the first austerity measurers were imposed in the public sector.

The President will address Romanians today on the protests that started on January 14.

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Protesters obtained a second victory, as the merging of elections for November was ruled as unconstitutional. The government wanted the local and parliamentary elections to be organized in the same day.

Ongoing protests are going to impact the economy, and Moody’s rating agency was the first to say that protests will block reform measures and could reduce Romania’s credit rating that is currently recommended for investments, with a stable perspective.    

“If Romanians can do this, you have a real democracy, so I believe this is a good sign,” said Mark Mobius, president of Franklin Templeton Emerging Markets Group, the sole administrator of Fondul Proprietatea.  

In the pictures: members of the retired military trade union protesting against the Government and the President. 

Ovidiu Posirca

Photo credits: Mihai Constantineanu