Opposition party Save Romania Union (USR) wants Victoriei Square, the place where protesters have been gathering this year in the Romanian capital, to officially become a space dedicated to manifestations of the civil society and unions.

USR Bucharest will call for an extraordinary meeting of the Bucharest General Council (CGMB), in which the city councilors would be asked to vote on a draft decision aimed at turning Victoriei Square into a space dedicated to civic manifestations, reads a press release from USR Bucharest.

USR has also proposed city councilors from the National Liberal Party (PNL), the other important opposition party, to support this initiative to call for an extraordinary meeting of the CGMB, and to vote for the project targeting Victoriei Square. Under the law, CGMB meetings can be convened at the request of one third of the number of municipal councilors. The governing coalition made of the Social Democratic Party (PSD) and the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats (ALDE) holds the majority in the council.

USR came up with this idea after the Bucharest City Hall wanted to organize a Christmas Fair in Victoriei Square, which is known as the place where the biggest street protests of 2017 have been taking place. The Municipality, however, decided on Saturday, December 2, to move the fair somewhere else after dozens protested in the area while the organizers were trying to arrange the square for the fair.

The Christmas Fair that was supposed to open in Victoriei Square on December 5 and last until December 17 was a short notice event, announced just days prior to its opening.

It’s not yet clear how the mayor came to the decision to organize a Christmas fair in Victoriei Square. While general mayor Gabriela Firea said the School Inspectorate had the idea of organizing a carols’ fair in this area, District 1 mayor Dan Tudorache said the decision came from the party's leaders. Both Gabriela Firea and Tudorache are members of the ruling Social Democratic Party (PSD). Later, the Bucharest City Hall said the party does not take such decisions, according to the local media.

Meanwhile, the protesters said the City Hall only wanted to occupy the space so as to prevent any large protests in the future. USR also criticized this idea, saying that it was a political one.

“In this context, it is necessary to regulate, through the CGMB decision, that Victoriei Square remains a space reserved for manifestations of the civil society, trade union, etc. Such a decision is necessary to prevent the adoption of administrative decisions for political purposes and to guarantee the destination of this space in Bucharest, which has already been established through public events in recent years. Public events such as season festivals or concerts can take place in places where they have traditionally been held in Bucharest,” reads the press release from USR Bucharest.

Romanian PM: Christmas fair in front of the Govt., not an inspired decision

Irina Marica, irina.marica@romania-insider.com