Public anger
May 19, 2010
Tens of thousands of Romanians took to the streets of Bucharest on Wednesday to demonstrate against a series of planned budget cuts. The protesters also called on the government to step down over the measures.
The protesters, which police said numbered between 20,000 and 30,000, demanded the resignations of President Traian Basescu and Prime Minister Emil Boc over austerity measures they say will diminish their quality of life.
The march outside government headquarters in the capital was one of Romania's biggest since mass protests forced communist dictator Nicolae Ceausecu to flee in 1989.
The government, in conjunction with the International Monetary Fund (IMF), is planning to cut public sector wages by 25 percent and pensions by 15 percent.
The measures were to be enacted this month in an effort to cut the country's public deficit to 6.8 percent in exchange for a 20-billion-euro ($24.5 billion) aid package from the IMF.
Cuts hit public workers, retirees
Many of the protesters were retirees living on low, fixed incomes who would receive less money should the austerity measures be passed.
Marius Petcu, the leader of CNSRL-Fratia union, symbolically tore up a copy of the government's agreement with the IMF.
Marian Gruia, head of the policemen's union, called on Romanians to unite, "as we did in 1989, when we overthrew the dictatorship" of Nicolae Ceausescu.
Recent austerity measures across Europe have hit state workers and pensioners, most notably in Romania, Bulgaria and Greece.
dfm/AFP/dpa/Reuters
Editor: Martin Kuebler