Last talks before the storm

Romania has left behind its last weekend of calm before the storm expected during Wednesday’s Government meeting, when Prime Minister Emil Boc will announce the drastic cut for incomes of public sector workers and pensioners as of June 1st.

Today’s meeting of the Economic and Social Council (CES) – a structure which includes the Government, trade unions, and employers’ associations, is expected to not give a favourable verdict to the austerity measures announced by the Executive.

Two of the leading employers’ associations in CES, UGIR-1903 and CONPIROM, decided to no longer uphold the memorandum signed with the IMF, and abstain from voting today, leaving it for the Government and the trade unions to give favourable opinion on the austerity measures, a pre-condition for the austerity measures negotiated with the IMF to be passed, as required by president Traian Basescu.