A nightclub fire in Bucharest that killed at least 45 people became the tipping point for many Romanians who have long been frustrated with corruption among leaders. But as the government resigned amid street protests this week, many remained skeptical that the leaderless street movement will succeed in doing away with the old order.
A man’s face is illuminated by a laser torch as he waves a large Romanian flag, after climbing the University building, during the third day of protests, joined by tens of thousands across the country, calling for early elections, in Bucharest, Romania, Thursday, Nov. 5, 2015. Romania’s President Klaus Iohannis has named the Education Minister Sorin Campeanu as interim premier following the resignation of the Prime Minister Victor Ponta and his cabinet. (AP Photo/Vadim Ghirda)
The large protests followed the Oct. 30 nightclub fire, which many Romanians blame on a weak enforcement of regulations and corruption. They continued even after Prime Minister Victor Ponta resigned on Wednesday, underlining deep social dissatisfaction with an often corrupt political order that has ruled the country since the transition from communist dictatorship to democracy a quarter century ago.
Political analyst Cristian Parvulescu said the nightclub fire proved to be “the last straw” because of a widespread feeling “that any of us could have been there.”
Forensic workers collect items outside the site of a fire that occurred in a club in Bucharest, early Saturday, Oct. 31, 2015. A heavy metal band’s pyrotechnical show sparked a deadly fire Friday at a Bucharest nightclub, killing more than 20 people and injuring scores of the club’s mostly youthful patrons, officials and witnesses said. (AP Photo/Vadim Ghirda)
A child wears a Halloween hat sits in a vehicle, as the adults accompanying her light candles and lay flowers outside the compound that housed the nightclub where a fire occurred in the early morning hours in Bucharest, Romania, Saturday, Oct. 31, 2015. Hundreds of young people had gone clubbing at the hip Colectiv nightclub Friday night to enjoy a free concert by the Goodbye to Gravity metal band but the evening ended in horror, as the inferno caused a panic that killed tens of people and injured many others. (AP Photo/Vadim Ghirda)
Romania’s President Klaus Iohannis stands after placing flowers outside the compound that housed the nightclub where a fire occurred in the early morning hours in Bucharest, Romania, Saturday, Oct. 31, 2015. Hundreds of young people had gone clubbing at the hip Colectiv nightclub Friday night to enjoy a free concert by the Goodbye to Gravity metal band but the evening ended in horror, as the inferno caused a panic that killed tens of people and injured many others. (AP Photo/Vadim Ghirda)
A woman holds roses while standing outside the Colectiv nightclub during a mourning march joined by thousands pauses in Bucharest, Romania, Sunday, Nov. 1, 2015. As the nation entered its second day of mourning, thousands paid their respects at the Colectiv nightclub in Bucharestís 4th district, scene of mayhem and tragedy Friday night when a fire engulfed the venue, causing a panic that killed tens of people and injured many others, raising serious questions about fire regulations and safety procedures in Romania. (AP Photo/Vadim Ghirda)
Riot policemen raise a police line outside the compound that housed the nightclub where a fire occurred in the early morning hours in Bucharest, Romania, Saturday, Oct. 31, 2015. Hundreds of young people had gone clubbing at the hip Colectiv nightclub Friday night to enjoy a free concert by the Goodbye to Gravity metal band but the evening ended in horror, as a fire caused panic that killed tens of people and injured many others. (AP Photo/Vadim Ghirda)
People cast shadows on a wall as they wait to light candles and lay flowers outside the compound that housed the nightclub where a fire occurred in the early morning hours in Bucharest, Romania, Saturday, Oct. 31, 2015. Hundreds of young people had gone clubbing at the hip Colectiv nightclub Friday night to enjoy a free concert by the Goodbye to Gravity metal band but the evening ended in horror, as the inferno caused a panic that killed tens of people and injured many others. (AP Photo/Vadim Ghirda)
People, lit by burning candles, stand outside the compound that housed a nightclub where a fire occurred in the early Saturday in Bucharest, Romania, to pay respects to the victims, 24 hours after the accident Sunday, Nov. 1, 2015. Flames spread quickly through the crowded basement club, trapping many and triggering a stampede, making it the deadliest nightclub blaze in Romanian history. (AP Photo/Vadim Ghirda)
A woman face is lit by candles placed outside the Colectiv nightclub as she peers from behind the metal gate leading to the club in Bucharest, Romania, Monday, Nov. 2, 2015. The owners of the Colectiv nightclub were questioned by prosecutors Monday in connection with a fire that engulfed a nightclub Friday night, causing a stampede to a single exit door of the basement club and leaving tens of people dead and many more injured. (AP Photo/Vadim Ghirda)
A woman cries as her partner comforts her outside the Colectiv nightclub, during a mourning march joined by thousands in Bucharest, Romania, Sunday, Nov. 1, 2015. As the nation entered its second day of mourning, thousands paid their respects at the Colectiv nightclub in Bucharestís 4th district, scene of mayhem and tragedy Friday night when a fire engulfed the venue, causing a panic that killed tens of people and injured many others, raising serious questions about fire regulations and safety procedures in Romania. (AP Photo/Vadim Ghirda)
Maria Ion, a 38 year-old widow, mother of five, who died in last Friday’s fire at the Colective nightclub where she occasionally worked as a cleaning lady, lies in a coffin wearing a bride dress as two of her children, Denisa, 15 years-old, left, and her 11 year-old sister Alexandra pose next to it after requesting a souvenir picture with their mother, at the family house in Bucharest, Romania, Tuesday, Nov. 3, 2015. Maria Ion, who struggled on a very small income is survived by five children, a victim of a fire that engulfed a nightclub killing tens of people and injured many others was buried Tuesday in Bucharest. (AP Photo/Vadim Ghirda)
Costin Mincu, center, one of the owners of the Colectiv nightclub, exits the general prosecutor’s office handcuffed in Bucharest, Romania, Monday, Nov. 2, 2015. The owners of the Colectiv nightclub were questioned by prosecutors Monday in connection with a fire that engulfed a nightclub Friday night, causing a stampede to a single exit door of the basement club and leaving tens of people dead and many more injured. (AP Photo/Vadim Ghirda)
Romanian Prime Minister Victor Ponta arrives at the government headquarters in Bucharest, Romania, Wednesday, Nov. 4, 2015. Ponta announced the resignation of his government Wednesday following huge protests in the wake of a nightclub fire that killed more than 30 people. (AP Photo/Vadim Ghirda)
“People feel the need for change, for new faces. We have had the same faces for 25 years and this has led to this revolt as there is a real lack of competition,” said Parvulescu, who is the dean of the National School of Political Studies and Public Administration in Bucharest.
Hard-charging anti-corruption prosecutors led by Laura Codruta Kovesi have stepped up an anti-corruption drive in the past couple of years securing a record 1,051 convictions in 2014, up from 743 the year before with even more are expected this year. Among those convicted since January 2014 are a former prime minister, seven former ministers, a former deputy prime minister, four lawmakers, one European Parliament lawmaker, 39 mayors, 25 magistrates and two business tycoons.
All the major parties in Romania’s Parliament have been touched by the corruption probes and convictions — from the ruling Social Democratic Party and its junior partner, the National Union for the Progress of Romania to the opposition Liberal Party — leading to a belief that politicians enter politics to enrich themselves. But with many lawmakers critical of the anti-corruption drive, solutions are not clear-cut and the old guard is unlikely to easily surrender its power and way of doing politics.
“It is so fluid at the moment, the old guard is so entrenched and the protesters are not a single group who know what they want the future to look like other than that they want the current system gone,” Daniel Brett, a Romania expert and associated professor at the Open University said in an interview with The Associated Press. “At the moment everyone wants rid of the old system, but no one knows what to replace it with, or how to replace it.”
A man wears a pig mask holding a banner that reads “The Romanian political class – Some pigs” during the fifth day of protests in Bucharest, Romania, Saturday, Nov. 7, 2015, calling for better governance and an end to corruption, in Bucharest, Romania, Nine more people died Saturday, bringing the death toll to 41 victims, a week after the Oct. 30 blaze that erupted at the Colectiv nightclub during a heavy-metal concert. (AP Photo/Vadim Ghirda)
A protester screams holding a paper that reads “Corruption has killed – Romania wake up” back-dropped by the communist era built House of the People, now housing the Romanian parliament during a rally joined by thirty-five thousand people, according to local media quoting the Romanian Gendarmerie, calling for early elections, in Bucharest, Romania, Wednesday, Nov. 4, 2015. Prime Minister Victor Ponta announced the resignation of his government Wednesday following huge protests the day before in the wake of a nightclub fire that killed more than 30 people.(AP Photo/Vadim Ghirda)
A man with a Romanian flag wrapped around his neck holds his palms in front of his face during the fourth day of protests, joined by tens of thousands across the country, calling for early elections, in Bucharest, Romania, Friday, Nov. 6, 2015. Large street protests followed the Oct. 30 nightclub fire, which many Romanians blame on a weak enforcement of regulations and corruption. The street protesters have condemned the nationís politicians as arrogant and corrupt and isolated from the problems of ordinary people. (AP Photo/Vadim Ghirda)
Protesters, one wearing an outfit mocking Orthodox Patriarch Daniel, shout slogans against the Romanian politicians during the fourth day of protests, joined by tens of thousands across the country, calling for early elections, in Bucharest, Romania, Friday, Nov. 6, 2015. Protesters calling for an end to alleged widespread corruption have turned their anger to the powerful and rich Romanian Orthodox Church, asking for it’s financial privileges to be reviewed, with public discontent with the church at an all-time high after it failed to address an outpouring of national grief in the wake of a nightclub fire which left more than 30 dead.(AP Photo/Vadim Ghirda)
A man wearing a Guy Fawkes mask stands above protesters shouting slogans against the Romanian politicians during the fourth day of protests, joined by tens of thousands across the country, calling for early elections, in Bucharest, Romania, Friday, Nov. 6, 2015. Large street protests followed the Oct. 30 nightclub fire, which many Romanians blame on a weak enforcement of regulations and corruption. The street protesters have condemned the nationís politicians as arrogant and corrupt and isolated from the problems of ordinary people. Banners read” You are feeding on our hunger,” top left, “The culprits must pay,” bottom left, and ” not even you are above the law: in reference to politicians,” far right bottom. (AP Photo/Vadim Ghirda)
Romanian President Klaus Iohannis speaks to a protester in University Square, the staging area for protests calling for better governance and an end to corruption, in Bucharest, Romania, Sunday night, Nov. 8, 2015. People power has ousted the Romanian government, which resigned after demonstrations over a nightclub fire causing more than 40 deaths, but it isnít the first time a popular movement has shaken the government, and based on their past experiences many Romanians are skeptical that the leaderless street movement will succeed in doing away with the old order. (AP Photo/Vadim Ghirda)
In addition to the corruption, the protesters — who have taken to the streets of the capital and other cities for the past five days — have also condemned the nation’s politicians for being arrogant and isolated from the problems of ordinary people.
On Saturday evening, a couple of thousand people jammed University square, a traditional site for anti-government protest in Romania.
“We want change from the people who lead us, for them to respect us, for there to be less corruption,” said Octavian Rachita, a 30-year-old graphic designer who has been protesting for the past five days. He held a banner saying: “We have to be the change we want to see.”
Architect Aniela Ban, also 30, said she wanted to “feel safer.”
“What happened was due to corruption. We need a better medical and education system and a press that does not distort events,” she said.
The protests seem to have taken leaders off guard.
It was “a shock for politicians. They didn’t expect it,” Parvulescu said. “These protests are about the democratization of Romania. People want more democracy. Our democracy is a facade, it is window dressing.”
Protesters have also directed their anger at the rich and powerful Romanian Orthodox Church, accusing it of failing to respond to the outpouring of national grief after the fire. Pressure had already been mounting for the state to curb the financial privileges of the church.
“We want hospitals, not cathedrals!” was one of the chants that protesters shouted this past week.
Protests have been cyclical in Romania, starting with the 1989 anti-communist revolt in which former dictator Nicolae Ceausescu was ousted and executed and more than 1,300 died.
Ponta came to power in May 2012 a couple of months after major street protests, promising change, but has since angered Romanians by reneging on promises for reform. He refused to step down when he was accused in June 2012 of plagiarizing his 2003 doctoral thesis, and again refused calls to resign when prosecutors announced in June 2015 they were probing him for tax evasion, money laundering and conflict of interest connected to work he did as a lawyer between 2007 and 2008. He denies wrongdoing.
Prosecutors have also been investigating Ponta’s former finance minister, Darius Valcov, who is charged with taking 2 million euros ($2.1 million) in bribes when he was a mayor. Prosecutors say Valcov, who resigned in March 2015, had hidden works by Picasso and Renoir, and 3 kilograms (6.6 pounds) of gold, in a friend’s safe.
President Klaus Iohannis, a local mayor and ethnic German who surprisingly defeated Ponta in November 2014 presidential elections, also came to power on the back of a spontaneous revolt. That protest movement was sparked after expatriate Romanians rallied in European capitals and farther afield to protest rules making it hard for them to vote in national elections.
He has been a key player this week, announcing an interim prime minister and meeting with civic groups on Friday for consultations on the social changes there are seeking.
“Romanians want a new approach and a new way of doing politics,” Iohannis said Friday.
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