Romanian government collapses amid public outrage over austerity

[bemildred]

The Romanian government collapsed Monday after weeks of protests over biting cuts meant to keep outside funding flowing to the troubled nation.

Prime Minister Emil Boc said he and his Cabinet were resigning “to defuse political and social tension,” the Associated Press reported.

Opposition leaders are calling on President Traian Basescu to step down as well. Crin Antonescu, who heads the opposition Liberal Party, called it “the most corrupt, incompetent and lying government” since the 1989 revolt against communism, the report said.

Austerity has become the watchword in Europe, where governments have been cutting back and trying to rein in debt to help restore faith in the battered euro currency. Spain, for example, crafted a nearly $20-billion package of cuts and tax increases and even cut back on puentes, an extra vacation day slipped in when holidays fall on a Tuesday

http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/world_now/2012/02/romania-government-toppled-over-austerity.html

[dixiegrrrrl]

1. Wonder if they have a technocrat in the wings to step in?

That has been the pattern in Greece, Italy, and I think...Spain?

editing to add:

In both Hungary and the Czech Republic technocrats have been chosen.

Yep...a pattern.

[bemildred]

2. Do I smell a hint of cynicism there?

"Technocrat" == "Supposedly unbiased servant of things-as-they-are".

[dixiegrrrrl]

3. given that the so called technocrats

in Greece and Italy have Goldman Sachs backgrounds....
I am a wee bit cynical.
Not to mention they were appointed, not voted on, thereby not accountable to the voters.

So, when I read that another country's leaders are stepping down.....

[amandabeech]

4. I thought that Hungary had a very, very conservative, maybe even neo-fascist

government, but that it was elected under fair circumstances.

Did I miss something?

I just have the feeling that something like what is happening on the fringes of Europe could happen here. Michigan's conservative government is run by something of a technocrat who was an exec of Gateway Computers, if you remember them.

I'm thinking that we may have a '60s summer. OWS will probably be active and.the UAW president has called for peaceful civil disobedience. My worst fear is that a flash mob incident could turn into a full-fledge race riot with the jobs situation being what it is.

When the tinder is dry, it doesn't take much to turn the tinder into a full-fledged conflagration.