Romanias Prime Minister Ilie Bolojans government loses confidence vote

Romania’s Pro-European Coalition Collapses After Vote of No-Confidence

A vote of no-confidence in Prime Minister Ilie Bolojan has led to the collapse of Romania’s pro-European coalition, raising concerns about the country’s commitment to narrowing its budget deficit. On Tuesday, 281 legislators voted in favour of the motion, while four opposed it.

The joint effort was launched by the left-wing Social Democratic Party (PSD) and the far-right Alliance for the Unity of Romanians party (AUR), which submitted the motion to parliament last week. The PSD withdrew from the coalition in late April, citing disagreements with Bolojan’s austerity measures.

Financial markets have reacted to the news, with Romania’s currency falling to a record low against the euro before Tuesday’s vote. A snap election is unlikely, but concerns remain about Bucharest’s commitment to reducing its budget deficit.

The current coalition came to power 10 months ago, aiming to contain the gains of the far right after a series of polarising elections. The Social Democrats had repeatedly clashed with Bolojan as his austerity measures affected their voters and patronage networks.

President Nicusor Dan is expected to invite parties for negotiations and attempt to rebuild the four-party pro-EU coalition under a different member of Bolojan’s Liberals or perhaps a technocrat as prime minister. The PSD has expressed willingness to rejoin a pro-EU coalition under a different prime minister, but Bolojan’s party has ruled out collaborating with them again.

The collapse of the coalition has sparked concerns about the impact on Romania’s economy and its ability to manage its budget deficit.

Source: Al Jazeera