Romanian opposition parties move to thwart no-confidence vote that PM-designate Ludovic Orban plans to lose

Foto: INQUAM/Octav Ganea

Romania’s prime minister-designate Ludovic Orban is facing a no-confidence vote which he plans to lose.

But the tactic may not work after three opposition parties said they would boycott Monday’s vote leaving parliament with too few lawmakers to validate the session.

That would derail the Liberals’ plan to hold early elections which Orban and his main ally Klaus Iohannis are seeking months ahead of time to take advantage of good polls.

Lawmakers toppled Orban’s three-month-old minority government on Feb 5. The next day, Iohannis asked Orban to form a new government.

Deputy Prime Minister Raluca Turcan on Monday accused the Social Democrats, the largest party in parliament, of demonstrating a “lack of maturity.”

„Deliberately boycotting a long-awaited move on the road to early elections demonstrates a clear lack of responsibility,” she said.  

But the Social Democrats say they are waiting for the Constitutional Court to rule on their objections on the renomination of Orban for a second term.

The Alliance of Liberal Democrats and Pro-Romania also said they would not participate on Monday’s session.

If there fewer than 233 lawmakers attend the session_ half of the total number of lawmakers_ a new joint session will need to be rescheduled.

If Orban’s cabinet is voted down in parliament, and a second government is also rejected within 60 days, the president can dissolve parliament, triggering a snap poll.

The prolonged political uncertainty has unsettled investors and Romania’s currency, the leu fell to an all-time low on Friday,

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