Hundreds Picket Romania’s Presidential Palace Over Austerity Measures

The protest, attended by unionists in public administration, healthcare, education, social assistance and the police force, is set to end at 11 a.m. and unionist plan on handing President Traian Basescu a letter, urging him to send the laws containing austerity measures back to Parliament.

Demonstrators briefly clashed with security forces and attempted to reach their fellow union remembers, who were returning from the Presidential Palace, security forces head Marius Militaru said.

Romania's Government on June 15 narrowly survived a no-confidence vote over its austerity plan, which slashed public sector wages and pensions.

Romania's Constitutional Court ruled Friday that some of the austerity measures for which the Government received a confidence vote in Parliament are unconstitutional, people close to the matter said.

According to the sources, the Court ruled that the provisions concerning the pensions of magistrates are unconstitutional, while those regarding other categories are open to interpretation, but do not require clarification in Parliament.

As per the Constitution, the provisions ruled unconstitutional must be made to conform with the Court's decision within 45 days.

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