Romanian companies give employees a day off for anti-Govt. protest

Yet another anti-government protest is expected to take place in Bucharest today, June 27, at the Parliament, where a no-confidence motion against the PSD-ALDE government is scheduled for debate and vote. The opposition party Save Romania Union (USR) urged people to take the day off today and join the “peaceful protest” starting 12:00, and many people reacted positively to the initiative, saying that they would attend the protest or spend the lunch break in front of the Parliament. Moreover, some local companies also announced that they would close their offices today and thus give the day off to all the employees who want to go to the protest, local Ziare.com reported. Among them, local advertising agency Papaya, which announced on Facebook that the agency would be closed today. This has cost them a big client, namely the state-owned lender CEC Bank, which decided on Tuesday to end its contract with Papaya Advertising, after a ten-year collaboration. “We thank CEC Bank for 10 years of beautiful collaboration, even for the year we worked pro bono. If anyone knows the real reason why they cancelled our contract today, less than 24 hours from the previous post, we ask them to help us,” reads a Facebook post of the advertising agency. Other companies that decided to stop their activity today and give their employees the day off include insurer ARP Holding, Shake Advertising, and Humanitas publishing house. However, supporters of the ruling Social Democratic Party (PSD) are also expected to stage a protest at the Parliament during the no-confidence motion vote today. Sources from the party told local G4media.ro that PSD sent a note to branches across the country demanding that each branch send 15 people to Bucharest on the day of the motion. Claudiu Manda, a PSD senator, said earlier this week that supporters of the PSD-ALDE coalition could also be present in front of the Parliament on the day of the no-confidence motion. PSD leader Liviu Dragnea said the ruling alliance MPs would not participate at the no-confidence motion vote and only be present at the meeting to ensure the required quorum. Former president Traian Basescu also said that the opposition, which filed the no-confidence motion to the Parliament, still needs some 50-70 votes for the motion to pass. The opposition parties PNL, USR and PMP need a total of 233 votes.