Romanian mayor ends hunger strike

ROMANIAN mayor Florin Cazacu ended a six-day hunger strike over cuts in heating subsidies after the government handed his town extra funds for fuel oil yesterday.

He said thousands of residents in Brad have shivered at home after the government scrapped a centralised heating subsidy which, Cazacu said, left the central Romanian town with a three million lei (£592,000) shortfall. Winter temperatures around Brad fall as low as –30 C.

The government said on Friday it would give Brad one million lei, which Cazacu said was a beginning, but not enough. “The funds will ensure there is enough fuel oil for a period of 15 days, but let’s not forget winter is just starting,” 46-year-old Cazacu was quoted as saying.

Last year the government introduced tough austerity measures including salary cuts and a rise in value-added tax.