Romania’s new pro-European government headed by Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu took the oath on Monday.
The new government has been tasked with providing stability and keeping the European Union and NATO country on the pro-European trajectory.
Ciolacu’s new coalition government received 240 votes in favor, seven more than the required votes for motions to pass.
Eight ministries will be under the center-left Social Democratic Party’s (PSD) control, six under the Liberal Party (PNL) while the remaining two cabinet posts are controlled by the Democratic Alliance of Hungarians in Romania.
Romania’s new cabinet members took the oath on Monday before incumbent President Klaus Iohannis. Iohannis said all the ministers he had spoken with had expressed interest in continuing Romania’s pro-European trajectory.
Ciolacu’s Social Democrats won about 22% of the votes in an election cycle marked by controversy and reports of Russian interference.
The parliamentary race was sandwiched between the first and second round of the country’s presidential race, in which the right-wing parties made significant gains in parliament.
The far-right Alliance for the Union of Romanians finished in second in the parliamentary race, winning just over 18% of the votes.
Iohannis’ decision to nominate Ciolacu to form a government is widely seen as a tactical maneuver to keep the far-right from governing.
Romania has been plunged into political instability since the Constitutional Court canceled the presidential elections following declassified intelligence reports of Russian interference to help far-right radical Calin Georgescu. The new government will set the date for the re-run election.
Acknowledging the difficulties ahead, Ciolacu said:
“We are aware that we are in the midst of a deep political crisis. It is also a crisis of trust, and this coalition aims to regain the trust of citizens, the trust of the people,” Ciolacu said in a statement.
President Iohannis, who announced he would stay in his post until a successor is elected as per the the constitution, says he hopes the new government can bring a measure of political stability.
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