Thousands Protest Pension, Wage Cuts Across Romania

About two thousand people demonstrated in the central city of Brasov, where protesters clashed with security forces as they tried to force their way into the building hosting the prefect’s office.

In Deva, western Romania, protesters burnt banners and photos of President Traian Basescu and called for the president and the Government’s resignation. In the western city of Arad, demonstrators blocked traffic in their march toward the city center, which hosts local administration buildings.

Rallies and demonstration were also staged Thursday in cities in northern, eastern and southern Romania, except in capital Bucharest.

Romania’s Government has adopted two draft laws over the weekend, for which it plans to seek a confidence vote in Parliament Monday. The austerity plan, which cuts public sector wages, pensions and social welfare benefits, should help the recession-hit country bring its economy on track and convince the International Monetary Fund, which is leading a EUR20 billion rescue package agreed last year, to disburse further installments of the loan.

Romania’s economy is still not showing signs of recovery and the national statistics institute reported Thursday that the country’s first quarter gross domestic product shrank 2.6% compared with the year-earlier period. Romanian economy declined by a sharp 7.1% in 2009, reversing a 7.1% growth in the previous year.

The opposition has said it will submit two no-confidence motions to overthrow the democrat liberal Government, one for each of the draft laws the Cabinet wants to pass into legislation.