Thousands of people took to the streets of Romania’s capital on Wednesday to protest government austerity measures, demanding higher wages, lower taxes, and stronger action to curb inflation.

Demonstrators gathered outside the government headquarters in Bucharest before marching toward the Palace of Parliament, waving banners and banging drums. Some carried placards reading “We want decent salaries!” and “Don’t hit those who save you,” alongside photos of ambulance workers.

The protest was organized by the National Trade Union Bloc, which represents dozens of professional groups, as Romania’s government pushes forward with strict measures to address its widening budget deficit. The deficit stood at more than 9% of GDP in 2024 — one of the highest in the European Union — with a target to reduce it to 8.4% this year under an agreement with the EU.

The austerity package includes higher taxes, freezes on public sector wages and pensions, and cuts to government spending and administrative jobs.

“Workers are once again being sacrificed for their jobs — even though we work harder, we are getting poorer,” the union bloc said in a statement, accusing the government of turning “the impoverishment of the population into state policy.”

Union leaders later said they had been invited by ruling parties for discussions following the demonstration.

Protesters also demanded an end to job cuts in the public sector and stronger efforts to combat tax evasion.

Romania’s ruling coalition, which took office earlier this year, had pledged to focus on fiscal discipline and institutional reform.

Political analyst Cristian Andrei said the government faces mounting challenges in narrowing the deficit without triggering more unrest. “The perception now is that only ordinary people are suffering, not those at the top,” he said. “Unions are just one voice in a growing chorus of discontent.”