Romanian Public Protests

[edyzmedieval]

Well the problem is that they are now making the decree go through the Parliament almost unchanged (one major exception) which means that most likely the protests will continue.

[edyzmedieval]

200.000 people light up their phones in protest.

[Montmorency]

[Philippus Flavius Homovallumus]

200.000 people light up their phones in protest.

Wow

Wrong thread?

[Montmorency]

Associations.

[Philippus Flavius Homovallumus]

Associations.

An excellent example of why one shouldn't just post a video without context.

[Seamus Fermanagh]

An excellent example of why one shouldn't just post a video without context.

What are you about PVH? Bucking for a moderator job or something?

[Philippus Flavius Homovallumus]

What are you about PVH? Bucking for a moderator job or something?

God, I hope not.

[Pannonian]

Associations.

Haka is Union, not Association.

[edyzmedieval]

50.000 people protested tonight and formed a Romanian flag in front of the palace of the government (Victoria Palace - not the huge Palace of the Parliament).

Will come back with a photograph.

[Greyblades]

Refreshing to see something that could be considered a grassroots movement in this age, for once.

[Pannonian]

50.000 people protested tonight and formed a Romanian flag in front of the palace of the government (Victoria Palace - not the huge Palace of the Parliament).

Will come back with a photograph.

Footage of the event.

[Philippus Flavius Homovallumus]

Has this become 4Chan? Come on guys, are we just trying to pointlessly inflate our post-count now?

On topic - protests continue, less intensely in Bucharest but they are spreading to other cities.

https://www.nytimes.com/2017/02/09/w...smtyp=cur&_r=0

Corruption is so embedded in the medical system that it’s nearly impossible to change without the help of the judicial system. A lot of my colleagues do take bribes from their patients. Some of them won’t treat someone who doesn’t offer them money, although Romania’s medical system guarantees free access to medical services. I don’t take money from my patients, and when I refuse their money, some get worried, thinking I refused them because they have some sort of terminal disease. Some think you’re a low-quality doctor if you treat them without charge.

On protesting: I went to all of the protests that have taken place in Bucharest during the last three weeks. Like so many others, I felt that the recent government decree, which was adopted at 10:30 p.m., was the first sign that Romania was turning away from democracy and the rule of law.

— Dan Arama, 31, a doctor in Bucharest.

[edyzmedieval]

Unfortunately, it is true. Bribing is commonplace - and this is exactly what the current anti-corruption drive is trying to work on.

[rory_20_uk]

When will they learn and become a proper democracy where the bribes are stopped and instead we have a completely open and fair system where politicians buy off Industry with peerages and Industry buys off Politicians with well paid consultancy roles / speaker engagements?

Are these protests "democratic" or "popularist"? The latter appears to be what people want, but shouldn't.

[edyzmedieval]

The protests are 150% democratic. Nobody ordered these protests, totally spontaneous, totally democratic and it's the "street" that represents Romania best now.

[edyzmedieval]

Well this has turned into... an absurd comedy.

Or absurd tragedy, take it how you like.

The Prime Minister, appointed by the party and the leader that orchestrated the infamous Law 13 (with the corruption validation) has been excluded by his own party and will now face a... vote of no-confidence.

That's right - the party that put that cabinet, all of them members of the party, will now vote to bring them down. Worse, if this doesn't pass, the country will be without a government.



https://www.bloomberg.com/politics/a...on-replacement

http://www.aljazeera.com/news/2017/0...201405765.html

[Philippus Flavius Homovallumus]

What's Romanian for "God Save the King?"

[edyzmedieval]

I think it goes in the way "Somebody please save us all".

I haven't seen something as ridiculous as this in Romanian politics, and we have a serious amount of scandals and embarassments. But trying to strike down your own members? What in the world...

[Philippus Flavius Homovallumus]

I think it goes in the way "Somebody please save us all".

I haven't seen something as ridiculous as this in Romanian politics, and we have a serious amount of scandals and embarassments. But trying to strike down your own members? What in the world...

Well, the Conservatives might do it to our government next week.

[edyzmedieval]

Aaaand.... the government fell. The first time in Europe a party downed their own government.

[Philippus Flavius Homovallumus]

Aaaand.... the government fell. The first time in Europe a party downed their own government.

I can't imagine it's the first time, but I feel your pain. From everything you're told us though, this may be for the best.

[edyzmedieval]

While we all hoped for the best... this got even uglier.

In short, the DNA (National Anticorruption Directorate) has been very vocal and quite efficient in combating corruptions, particularly against local figures. However, with the pressure of the ruling party to modify the rule of law, this has come up.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/world...=.32d6e295e12f

[Fragony]

Odd that I did not hear about this, I know Romanians here

[edyzmedieval]

Some more info.

http://www.dw.com/en/romanian-court-...ief/a-44013293

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-r...-idUSKCN1IV1SX

[edyzmedieval]

https://www.washingtonpost.com/world...=.75c5eb1a0e41

Massive protests again - the controversial penal code modifications have been approved.

[edyzmedieval]

And protests again because this time... the law passed.

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-r...-idUSKBN1JU26M

[Crandar]

Out of curiosity, edzy, did you notice an attempt from the authorities to distract the people from the issue? Something like a national controversy emerging from nowhere, involving Hungarians or Russians.

[edyzmedieval]

Yes, of course - but it's not necessarily against other people because there is a consistent absence of severe animosity towards other countries.

What they're doing instead is the same thing like in the USA - the deep state, called here the "parallel state", is the one responsible for the opposition. Distraction.

[edyzmedieval]

Last night I got tear-gassed multiple times in some very serious street clashes with the Gendarmerie.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-45156598

https://www.romania-insider.com/aust...arest-protest/

https://www.theguardian.com/world/vi...protests-video

More than 400 people were injured as the riot police charged us and gassed us multiple times.