Romania's pro-European government has collapsed after losing a confidence vote, plunging the country into fresh political turmoil less than a year after the ruling coalition was sworn in. The far right is surging in the polls.
Prime Minister Ilie Bolojan, a liberal, denounced the motion as 'false, cynical and artificial' before the vote on Tuesday. The motion, tabled by the Social Democrats (PSD) and the far-right Alliance for the Union of Romanians (AUR), passed with 281 votes in the 464-seat parliament. Bolojan's PNL party and its USR allies did not vote.
AUR leader George Simion called for early elections, saying the 'voice of the people' had been heard. However, elections are not due until 2028 and a snap ballot is considered unlikely, as the AUR has surged to about 37% support in polls, surpassing the PSD.
President Nicuşor Dan, who must nominate a new prime minister, is expected to invite parties for negotiations to rebuild the coalition. He ruled out early elections and said the country would have a new pro-western government within a 'reasonable amount of time'. The PSD has indicated willingness to rejoin a pro-EU coalition under a new premier.
Bolojan's unpopular austerity measures, including tax increases, wage and pension freezes, and spending cuts, had strained the coalition. The measures helped reduce the budget deficit from 9.3% to 7.9%, but at significant political cost. Romania must continue to shrink its deficit to secure about €10bn in EU recovery funds.
Analyst Cristian Andrei said it could take weeks for the president to find a majority and name a prime minister, with a new government looking 'difficult to achieve'.
