Discontent grows in Romania

We are only one month into 2024 and protests are piling up against the Romanian Government. And they come from many and varied fronts. Since more than half a million citizens demonstrated in early February 2017, under freezing temperatures, against a decree that decriminalized corruption crimes—Romania's Achilles heel—so much tension had not been perceived until these last few weeks in the streets. . The level of tension has generated divergences within the Government, a coalition of socialists and liberals, just at the beginning of a marathon electoral year.

Thousands of farmers and transporters have been protesting since January 10 against the increase in the cost of fuel, taxes and insurance, which has caused the paralysis of almost all border crossings – especially with Ukraine and Hungary – and numerous road closures. main roads and the blocking of ring roads on the outskirts of Bucharest and other cities such as Brasov. The Executive is trying to calm things down with new measures, but they are insufficient, according to the protesters, who warn of a possible stoppage of their activities if the rise in prices, fiscal pressure and difficult access to aid continue. Family doctors and health center staff have joined this group, at the same time as workers in rural town halls are threatening to go on strike in February.

In the case of farmers and transporters, as is the case in Germany, it is a spontaneous mobilization, which has not been encouraged by any group. The participants demand a moratorium on the repayment of loans, a more agile payment of subsidies and compensatory payments for the drought or the disorders generated by the import of Ukrainian cereals, whose products have entered the community market duty-free for two years, when the Russian offensive began in the neighboring country. Transporters are also calling for reduced compulsory civil liability insurance rates and separate lines for trucks from the EU and those from outside the bloc, including Ukraine, at border points and at the main Black Sea port of Constanța. outlet for Ukrainian grain.

According to Bogdan Cumpănașu, manager of an agricultural company, the protesters mainly come from crops such as wheat, corn, rapeseed and sunflower. “Farmers are selling their crops at very low prices due to Russian dumping on African markets and because a part of the grain that should only transit through Romania remains in warehouses and is subsequently sold at a lower price in the country, especially in the livestock sector,” explains the expert, who emphasizes that “Ukrainian cereals do not have clear traceability.

Promises

After meeting with representatives of both sectors, Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu announced at the end of January that he will allocate 250 million euros to compensate for the losses suffered by the war in Ukraine, the postponement of loan installments to affected agricultural producers due to the drought and an aid of 100 euros per hectare, while transporters would see a change in the way they carry out weight controls at the borders to speed up their passage, as well as a possible partial refund of the special tax on fuel.

Still, the protesters are not trusting. “The authorities are turning a blind eye to cheap grain imports from Ukraine and the price of diesel continues to rise, which is bringing us to the brink of bankruptcy,” insists Cezar, a 48-year-old farmer from Suceava, north from Romania, who traveled with his tractor to the Romanian capital. For Dan Tapalaga, political analyst, the Executive would have carried out a deviation in the state budget. “The money allocated to the agricultural sector would have been spent for other purposes, such as increasing salaries in public institutions or special pensions in view of the numerous elections that will be held throughout this year, starting in June with the European elections.” and followed by local, presidential and parliamentary elections in the fall,” he denounces.

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