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Romanian prime minister Emil Boc resigns | Romanian prime minister Emil Boc resigns |
(40 minutes later) | |
The Romanian prime minister has announced he and his government will resign immediately to protect the stability of the country. | |
Emil Boc said on Monday he was resigning "to ease the social situation" – referring to weeks of protests in Romania over austerity measures he introduced in 2010. | |
Boc, who became prime minister in 2008, urged Romania's feuding politicians to be mature and rapidly vote for a new government. | Boc, who became prime minister in 2008, urged Romania's feuding politicians to be mature and rapidly vote for a new government. |
He defended his record, saying he had taken "difficult decisions thinking about the future of Romania, not because I wanted to, but because I had to". | |
He added that the International Monetary Fund had forecast growth of up to 2% this year – lower than expected, but higher than the European Union average. | |
Romania signed up for a $26bn (£16bn) loan with the IMF, the EU and the World Bank in 2009 to help pay salaries and pensions, after the economy shrank by more than 7%. | |
In 2010, the government increased sales tax from 19% to 24% and cut public workers' salaries by a quarter to reduce the budget deficit. | In 2010, the government increased sales tax from 19% to 24% and cut public workers' salaries by a quarter to reduce the budget deficit. |
In January, Romanians staged weeks of protests to express anger at cronyism and a perception that the government was not interested in the problems of ordinary people in this country with a population of 22 million. | |
They protested against low living standards, widespread corruption and the passage of some laws without a parliamentary debate. | |
"I know that I made difficult decisions, but the fruits have begun to appear," Boc said in a statement. "The most important thing is the economic stability of the country," he said, adding, "In times of crisis, the government is not in a popularity contest, but is saving the country." | "I know that I made difficult decisions, but the fruits have begun to appear," Boc said in a statement. "The most important thing is the economic stability of the country," he said, adding, "In times of crisis, the government is not in a popularity contest, but is saving the country." |
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