Romania’s opposition party AUR announces no-confidence motion against government

AUR leader George Simion announced on Monday, July 7, that his party intends to submit a no-confidence motion against the government led by Liberal prime minister Ilie Bolojan. The announcement came the same day the Executive was scheduled to assume responsibility in Parliament for its first fiscal package, which includes a VAT increase, among others.

At a press conference, AUR Senate leader Petrișor Peiu confirmed that the party is collecting signatures to file the motion within the constitutional deadline of three days after the government assumes responsibility, as reported by Hotnews.ro.

Mihai Enache, head of the AUR deputies, stated that all 89 AUR parliamentarians have signed so far, along with some members from the POT and SOS Romania parties, as well as unaffiliated MPs. “We are waiting for every parliamentarian who believes the government’s measures harm Romanians to sign the motion,” Enache added.

To be submitted, the motion needs the signatures of at least 116 MPs. Although AUR and its allies have gathered support from some opposition members, the parliamentary arithmetic suggests the motion has little chance to pass.

The ruling coalition holds a clear majority with 294 MPs across PSD, PNL, USR, and UDMR, plus 17 deputies from national minorities who support the government. In contrast, the opposition totals around 134 votes from AUR, SOS Romania, and POT combined, although even this number is uncertain due to internal disputes and unclear affiliations within SOS Romania, according to Hotnews.ro.

Under the Romanian Constitution, the government can assume responsibility to fast-track legislation, avoiding debate and vote in Parliament. The opposition then has three days to submit a no-confidence motion. If the motion passes, the government falls and the legislative package is rejected. If it fails, the law is considered adopted, although it can still be challenged at the Constitutional Court or sent back for reconsideration by the president.

A motion of censure against the European Commission led by Ursula von der Leyen was also submitted on Thursday, June 26, by AUR member of the European Parliament, Gheorghe Piperea.

(Photo source: Inquam Photos / George Călin)