Prime Minister Victor Ponta resigns after street mass protests in Bucharest
Prime Minister Victor Ponta announced today he resigns after street mass protests of yersterday evening in Bucharest, when more than 25.000 people protested over the night club fire Colectiv, demanding resignations of the Romanian Government and administrative leaders.
2015-11-04 12:43:39
Yesterday evening, over 25,000 people gathered in spontaneous meeting in Bucharest, marching from Piata Victoriei and Universitatii Square towards the mayorship of district 4 led by Cristian Popescu Piedone and to the main Government institutions, including the Palace of Romanian Parliament, asking for the resignation of PM Victor Ponta, as well as the mayor Piedone (the nightclub being located under the district four administration) and minister of internal affairs Gabriel Oprea.
Soon after, the controversial mayor Piedone of Bucharest district 4 also announced his resignation.
The street movement comes after the last Friday fire tragedy happened during a concert organized in the Bucharest-based club called Colectiv when 32 young people died and 130 have been dangerously wounded and are now hospitalized in all Bucharest hospitals at intensive therapy units. The common voice of the street pointed towards the corruption of Romanian Government and administrative leaders and their overall incapacity and good will to prevent, manage and find solutions for a proper administration in all country sectors: social, politic and economic.
PM Victor Ponta faced in the last month an increasing pressure as in October 2015, he handed over the leadership of his party-TheSocial Democratic Party (PSD), over a tax fraud scandal and is involved in a trial regarding corruption. The current leader of the party, Liviu Dragnea, announced the imminent resignation.
This is the second largest street movement happening in Bucharest after November 2014, when a large mass of protesters took over the capital street asking for the resignation of Victor Ponta, who was at that time, enrolled in Presidency elections.
In the following days, other street mass protests are expected to happen in Bucharest and as well in other Romanian large cities, as a signal and warning of the Romanian civil society mainly represented by the young and active population that claims justice being made and more responsible and uncorrupted leaders at the helm of the main institutions in Romania.
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