Romanian Government Succumbs to No-Confidence Vote: Snap Election to Follow

The Romanian Parliament has passed a no-confidence vote against the incumbent government, led by center-right National Liberal Party (PNL) leader Ludovic Orban on February 5.

This was reported by  Romania Insider.

261 MPs of the minimum required 233 voted in favor.

The vote of no confidence to the government was initiated by the opposition Social Democratic Party (PSD) after the government claimed responsibility for reforming the electoral law.This law provided for the mayors of cities to be elected in two rounds of elections, instead of one.

The PSD and Democratic Alliance of Hungarians in Romania (UDMR) opposed the changes. As Romania Insider points out, they fear losing their representatives after the local elections due in the summer of 2020.

The newspaper also notes that Prime Minister Orban and Romanian President Klaus Iohannis had plans to hold early elections in the country since January. However, for this to happen, the government had to either resign or be dissolved first, and then, the president had to dissolve the parliament.

According to representatives of the Liberal Democratic Party (PLD), early parliamentary elections can be held at the same time as local ones -- that is, in the summer of 2020.

This comes a few months after the Parliament filed a no-confidence vote to the former prime minister and leader of the PSD Viorica Dăncilă. Its government was blamed for incompetence, lack of public investment and under-utilization of E.U. funds. Dăncilă was replaced by the leader of the PNL Orban.

The first Romanian president from an ethnic minority of Transylvanian Saxons Iohannis -- known for his pro-European stance -- was re-elected in November 2019.