Romania’s Prime Minister Ilie Bolojan is scheduled to face a no-confidence vote on May 5 after a motion against his minority government was filed by the Social Democrats together with the far-right Alliance for the Unity of Romanians (AUR).
The motion, AUR leader George Simion said on Tuesday, was signed by more than 250 lawmakers - a number that represents a parliamentary majority. Such backing would be sufficient to carry the vote and bring an end to Bolojan’s 10-month tenure as prime minister.
Simion was quoted saying: "We no longer want this government and the will of the people is to return to democracy." He also asserted that "We’re not at all nervous about the chances of this motion, it will surely pass." Simion added that no decision has been made for his far-right party to team up with the Social Democrats in a potential coalition.
The parliamentary move follows the Social Democrats’ decision last week to exit a pro-European four-way coalition. That withdrawal has produced a political rupture that observers say could imperil a set of reforms designed to narrow what the article describes as the European Union’s widest deficit.
The unfolding crisis also carries implications for Romania’s relationship with EU financing. The article notes the situation may complicate Bucharest’s efforts to obtain EU funds that are viewed as necessary to help pull the country out of a recession said to have been triggered by months of austerity.
Financial markets have already reacted to the heightened political risk. Government bonds have been sold off, and the leu weakened for a second consecutive day on Tuesday. The article emphasizes that the leu is tightly managed by the central bank and that these moves reflect investor concern that Romania could reverse pledged reforms if the far-right were to join the next government.
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