The protests in Bucharest, sparked by the Colectiv club tragedy, continued on Sunday evening, for the fifth evening in a row, but the number of people who rallied in the University Square was much lower than in previous days, of only 1,000-1,500.

President Klaus Iohannis took this opportunity and went to the square to talk to the people, as he had promised on Friday, after his decision to call only 18 representatives of the “civil society” to talks at Cotroceni had not been well received by some of the protesters. He made a 30-minute walk through the square, heavily guarded by his protection service, during which he greeted and heard a few people. Many of the protesters would have liked him to hold a speech, but he left without doing so.

The President announced at the end of last week that he would call the political parties to another round of consultations before naming a new Prime Minister.

The former Prime Minister Victor Ponta resigned on Tuesday, after a massive protest in Bucharest determined by the Colectiv club tragedy, to which the authorities’ negligence played a big role.

editor@romania-insider.com

(photo source: presidency.ro; photo credit: Catalin Georgescu)