Romanian Prime Minister who signed ACTA resigns

After three weeks of anti-austerity protests and ACTA opposition in Romania, Prime Minister Emil Boc has resigned.

According to Reuters, Romania (the second poorest country in the EU) is undergoing cuts to jobs and pay cuts, as well as tax hikes. Like Greece, Romania had appealed to the IMF to avoid economic collapse. In light of these events, Boc’s resignation nine months before parliamentary elections is not surprising. However, his signing of the Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement (ACTA), then swift departure from office is adolescent, as if he didn’t want to answer for his actions.

That said, his departure is a vitory not only for the Romanian people but for all those countries who would be subject to ACTA (to say nothing of TPP). Victor Ponta, leader of Romania’s biggest opposition party PSD, is a vocal opponent of ACTA and perhaps he’ll lead a charge to have Romania withdrawn from the treaty, ringing the death knell for a treaty that even President Obama signed.