Romanian Parliament Rejects Government Nominee, Deepening Political Deadlock

Romania’s parliament declined to back the government proposed by Prime Minister-designate Adrian Veștea on Monday evening, deepening the country’s political deadlock.

Veștea is the second politician to be tapped by President Nicușor Dan to form a government since Prime Minister Ilie Bolojan was ousted from office in a no-confidence vote last May. Only 189 lawmakers voted in favor of the center-right politician’s proposed cabinet, far short of the 233 required to form a new administration.

The fresh rejection comes just weeks after Dan’s initial pick to form a government, Eugen Tomac, similarly failed to secure the support of a majority of the country’s parliament.

“Today’s vote was not the one we had hoped for in Romania. But the vote is sovereign, and I respect it,” Veștea wrote on Facebook. “47 days without a government are already costing us too much: European funds, trust, and time.”

Veștea’s nomination was colored by political drama from his own National Liberal Party, the third-largest in the Romanian Parliament.

Ousted prime minister Bolojan, who serves as the party’s chair, was infuriated by Veștea’s decision to accept Dan’s invitation to form a government and instructed members not to back him. After the vote failed, Bolojan wrote on Facebook that the “betrayals have shown their limits.”

With Veștea’s rejection, Dan must now decide who to tap as his third candidate to form a government. He is set to meet with representatives from all of Romania’s parties Tuesday afternoon to discuss a new designate.

If Dan doesn’t name a new prime minister-designate during the next 60 days, new elections could be called. But with the Eurosceptic Alliance for the Union of Romanians polling as the country’s most popular party, the president is expected to do his best to avoid that route, given his stated mandate is “to maintain Romania’s pro-Western direction.”