Over 80,000 Expected To Protest Wednesday, As Romania’s Govt Faces No-Conf Vote

Union leaders called on people to join the demonstrations if they are unhappy with the Government’s austerity measures.

Protesters will demonstrate outside the Government building for an hour and then march up to the Parliament building, where they will wait for the results of the no-confidence vote, Ion Pisc, vice-president of the National Union Bloc, told a news conference Friday.

He added demonstrations are expected to be peaceful and democratic.

Romania’s opposition parties submitted a no-confidence motion in Parliament Monday, hoping to bring down the center-right coalition Government led by Emil Boc. The opposition needs the votes of at least 236 lawmakers of the 471-seat Parliament to oust the Government, which has a frail majority in the legislature.

Romania implemented a series of austerity measures this summer, including a 25% pay cut in the public sector, to keep the budget deficit in check and make sure its EUR20 billion aid package from the International Monetary Fund and other lenders stays on track. A delegation of the IMF is in Romania until November 1 to review the unfolding loan agreement.