Protesters call for elections in Romania
Ponta quit on Wednesday after a deadly fire at a nightclub prompted tens of thousands of people to take to the streets demanding a “profound change” in the government.
On Thursday, 05 November, Romania’s President Klaus Iohannis appointed Education Minister Sorin Cimpeanu as interim prime minister to replace Victor Ponta who resigned the previous day after mass street protests. Ponta, after all, has remained in power despite facing charges for fraud, tax evasion and money laundering.
He is likely to face his first court hearings later this month.
The fire – which sparked a stampede as panicked revellers desperately tried to get out – also left almost 200 people injured. With thousands protesting across the country in the past four days, the ruling Social Democrats have already opted not to suggest a replacement for Ponta themselves. After he nominates a successor, the candidate has 10 days to form a cabinet and survive a confidence vote in parliament.
Gancea was responsible for securing permits for the club. The blaze at the Colectiv rock club on Friday killed 32 people, with 130 still in hospital, half of them in critical condition.
Anger has been brewing for a few time in Romania against the government, which many perceive as corrupt, and the nightclub fire has added to that discontent.
Protesters have been on the streets since Tuesday. “Something has to change in Romania”.
“The president must be helped to reach the most efficient solution”, Liviu Dragnea, the leader of the Social Democrats (PSD), said after consultations with President Klaus Iohannis. “We risk ruining everything we built”.
Wait: how could a fire at a club lead to the fall of a federal government. “If there are no clean politicians at the moment, then let’s have a technocratic government formed from the many specialised people we have in our country”, said protester, Bogdan.
Public discontent with the church is at an all-time high after it failed to address an outpouring of national grief.
In a day of resignations, the mayor of the district where the nightclub is located stepped down, saying he felt morally guilty for the fire.