Romania's parliament votes on Niculescu government in bid to end five-month deadlock
Career diplomat Luca Niculescu's pro-European cabinet faces a confidence vote on Tuesday — the fourth attempt to form a government since May's coalition collapse, with three pro-EU parties pledged behind it.
Romania’s parliament votes on Tuesday on a government proposed by pro-European prime minister-designate Luca Niculescu, in a fourth attempt to end months of political deadlock, AFP reported.
Niculescu — a diplomat with no political affiliation — has proposed a cabinet drawn from the centre-left Social Democratic Party (PSD), the country’s largest, alongside technocrats. Three pro-European parties have pledged parliamentary support, giving him a working majority, though only one of the three will join the government itself. The vote is expected to pass.
“It is a less common formula in Romania but one that is appropriate to the situation we find ourselves in,” Niculescu said on Facebook, adding that the country needed a government able to “make decisions swiftly” after months of turmoil.
The crisis began when a four-party pro-EU coalition led by liberal prime minister Ilie Bolojan fell to a no-confidence vote backed by the PSD — a coalition member angry over Bolojan’s austerity measures — and the far-right Alliance for the Union of Romanians (AUR), which has since surged toward 40 percent in opinion polls while demanding snap elections. President Nicusor Dan has ruled out both a cabinet including the far right and early elections, arguing a fresh vote would prolong the crisis and strain state finances.
Ministerial hearings concluded on Monday, and caretaker PM Bolojan said Romania needed a fully functioning government to adopt its 2027 budget, rapporteur.com reported.
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