BUCHAREST: Romania´s pro-European Prime Minister Ilie Bolojan was ousted on Tuesday in a no confidence motion brought by the Social Democrats, his estranged allies, and the far right, deepening political turmoil in the EU and Nato member bordering Ukraine.
The left-wing Social Democrats, the biggest party, were accused of legitimising extremist politics after they teamed up with the main far-right party AUR to bring down the coalition government.
The motion received 281 votes in the 464-seat parliament. Bolojan´s liberals and his allies were present, but did not vote.
AUR leader George Simion posted on X after the vote that “the voice of the people was heard today” and called for “national reconciliation”. The Social Democrats quit the government last month in protest over unpopular austerity measures aimed at reducing the deficit, the biggest in the European Union.
The AUR has overtaken the Social Democrats in surveys since the last parliamentary elections, sitting at around 37 per cent.
Pro-EU President Nicusor Dan has said the eastern European country of 19 million people will keep its pro-Western direction, ruling out a far-right government or early elections.
“We are beginning negotiations to form a new government,” he said, calling for calm and insisting there was “consensus among the pro-Western parties on Romania´s broad directions”.
Social Democrat leader Sorin Grindeanu said after the vote that Bolojan should resign, and it was “the duty of responsible parties to find a solution”. “I want us to form a government quickly,” he said.
