Was deposed: Ilie Bolojan.Image: keystone
May 5, 2026, 1:59 p.mMay 5, 2026, 1:59 p.m
In Romania, the pro-Western government under the bourgeois Prime Minister Ilie Bolojan was deposed by a vote of no confidence with a large majority in parliament.
The opposition right-wing extremist faction AUR submitted the application together with the Social Democrats (PSD), who until recently were in government. They justified this with their criticism of Bolojan’s austerity policy and against his government’s planned sale of shares in large state-owned companies.
281 MPs and senators voted for the motion – including many from other smaller, extreme right-wing factions. PSD and AUR together only have 219 seats in the House of Representatives and Senate. 233 votes would have been enough for the motion to be accepted.
Difficult new government formation lies ahead
President Nicusor Dan must now propose a new candidate for the office of head of government to parliament. If parliament rejects two corresponding proposals one after the other, the head of state can dissolve parliament and order early elections. Dan recently declared that he would not nominate a candidate for prime minister who was supported by the “anti-Western” AUR. After PSD, AUR is the strongest parliamentary group. (sda/dpa)