Romania’s government crisis deepens after Parliament rejects Veștea cabinet
The cabinet put forth by Adrian Veștea, a vice-president of the National Liberal Party until his expulsion just a day prior, failed to obtain the investiture vote in Parliament on Monday, June 22, during a voting session that dragged past midnight.
The Veștea government gathered only 189 votes in favor and 23 against out of the 287 MPs declared present. The cabinet would have needed a minimum of 233 votes in favor to pass.
Veștea’s failure became apparent after the representatives of the far-right Alliance for the Union of Romanians left the room as a group before the vote took place. Their votes were essential for the cabinet to pass. The National Liberal Party (PNL), the Save Romania Union Party (USR), and the Hungarian minority party UDMR had pulled their MPs from the room as well. However, several MPs from the National Liberal Party were present and voted for the government. The Social Democratic Party was the only one to back the Veștea government.
After the government's rejection, the president of Romania, Nicușor Dan, is obliged to once again summon the political parties represented in Parliament for a new round of consultations, with the aim of forming a new majority or proposing a new prime minister.
Following the consultations, the president will appoint another person as prime minister. From the moment the appointment decree is published in the Official Gazette, the new designated prime minister has 10 days to form their team of ministers and draft the governing program. The list of ministers and the program are submitted to Parliament. Hearings in the specialized committees are resumed, followed by a new vote in the joint plenary session of the two Chambers.
The failure of the Veștea Cabinet is the first rejected investiture request. According to the Romanian Constitution, the president can dissolve the Parliament and trigger early elections if at least 60 days have passed since the first investiture request (meaning since the vote for the Veștea government) and if the Parliament rejected at least two appointed prime ministers.
Until a new government manages to pass the Parliament vote and take the oath of office, the former prime minister, Ilie Bolojan, remains in office on an interim basis.
(Photo source: Inquam Photos|Octav Ganea)
