Romanian Parliament Rejects Pro-EU Government, Deepening Political Crisis
Romania's parliament rejected the proposed government of prime minister-designate Siegfried Mureșan on Wednesday, with only 182 of the required 233 votes in favour. The rejection extends a political crisis that began in May and pushes the country closer to snap elections, as the far-right party gains support in polls. President Nicușor Dan has cautioned that another election would not necessarily resolve the underlying issues.
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Romania's parliament rejected the proposed government of prime minister-designate Siegfried Mureșan on Wednesday, receiving only 182 of the 233 votes required for approval, according to AFP and the Associated Press. The vote prolongs a political crisis that began in May, when the governing Social Democrats joined the opposition far right to oust liberal prime minister Ilie Bolojan.
Mureșan, a 45-year-old pro-European liberal and member of the European Parliament, had promised an ambitious reform agenda. President Nicușor Dan nominated him after two previous candidates failed to form a government. The rejection brings Romania closer to snap elections, though Dan has warned that a new vote would not resolve the underlying crisis.
The centre-left Social Democratic Party, Romania's largest, refused to back Mureșan, demanding the premiership for itself. The far-right Alliance for the Union of Romanians (AUR) also opposed him. AUR leader George Simion told parliament: Despite all the threats, we will not vote for this puppet government. AUR, now the country's second-largest party, has been leading recent opinion polls, with one survey putting its support at almost 40 percent.
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