Romanian government survives far-right opposition’s no-confidence motion

The Romanian Parliament rejected the no-confidence motion initiated by far-right parties AUR, SOS Romania, and POT against the government led by Social Democrat prime minister Marcel Ciolacu. The motion received 147 votes in favor and one against during the lawmakers' meeting on Friday, February 28 - a figure lower than the 155 signatures with which it was submitted to Parliament.

To pass, the no-confidence motion required the support of at least 233 deputies and senators, representing the majority. According to the news agency Agerpres, MPs from the Social Democratic Party (PSD), the National Liberal Party (PNL), Save Romania Union (USR), the minorities group, and the Democratic Alliance of Hungarians in Romania (UDMR) did not participate in the vote.

"It was obvious that the no-confidence motion would fail. It was, in fact, a political charade. I believe in democracy, and I believe that even a no-confidence motion should be a moment when both the opposition and the government explain things to the Romanian people," said Marcel Ciolacu after the result was announced, as quoted by Hotnews.ro.

The far-right opposition filed the no-confidence motion this week, accusing the government of lacking legitimacy, corruption, and incompetence in managing the economy and European funds. Additionally, the motion referred to the Nordis real estate scandal, as the prime minister and several government members are suspected of having ties to the businessmen involved in a multi-million-euro fraud scheme.

During Friday's debate in Parliament, AUR leader George Simion accused the prime minister of using the discourse on "stability" as a cover for "continuing corruption."

"You have made a mockery of the organization of all the elections in 2024. You tampered with them to the point of ruin. You merged, you recounted, and you are the main culprit, along with Klaus Werner Iohannis, for the destruction of democracy," he stated.

In his turn, prime minister Ciolacu accused the initiators of the no-confidence motion of trying to turn the country into a "wasteland" and promoting nothing else but "chaos and scandal."

"Leaving Romania in ruins at the most complicated moment is an act of betrayal, not patriotism, and we have a duty to stop this. You have turned the motion into a political charade. You are incapable of agreeing among yourselves. Romanians see how you accuse each other of betrayal - who signs, who votes. When the floor beneath us starts to crack, you hysterically scream at each other about who has sold out the most. Perhaps this is how you understand sovereignty," the PM stated.