Romania’s pro-EU government was ousted Tuesday in a vote of no-confidence prolonging a period of political turmoil and economic uncertainty.
The motion passed with 281 votes, far more than the 233 needed to dismiss Ilie Bolojan who passed a series of unpopular austerity measures to cut back Romania’s budget deficit of 7.9% last year, the highest in the European Union.
But the cuts upset the main coalition partner, the Social Democrats, who rely on local support from regional leaders and they quit the coalition last month. Bolojan accused them of plotting to remove him as “local barons can’t dip into the state piggy bank.”
The PSD then teamed up with a far-right AUR party to file the motion of no-confidence.
The crisis has unsettled investors and led to the depreciation of the national currency, the leu which fell to a historic low of 5.19 against the euro on Monday.
President Nicusor Dan on Monday sought to reassure domestic and international audiences, saying Romania would stay on its pro-European track.
