Romanian far-right opposition readies no-confidence motion against Bolojan government

The far-right opposition parties in the Romanian Parliament are set to file a motion of no confidence against the government headed by prime minister Ilie Bolojan. The motion, authored by senator Ninel Peia of the Peace – Romania First group, is specifically aimed at the reformist party Save Romania Union (USR), and is entitled “Romania Is Not for Sale – A Government without USR.”

Initiators say they already have 119 signatures, and that the motion will be submitted on Friday, December 5. Peia also noted that the motion has the backing of the far-right Alliance for the Union of Romanians (or AUR) party, according to News.ro.

Signatures also came from inside the government coalition. Former prime minister Victor Ponta, a deputy elected on the lists of the Social Democratic Party (PSD), announced that he signed the motion.

“This is an initiative of over 22 parliamentarians who understand the danger to Romania represented by the takeover of the State (Foreign Affairs, Defense, Economy, Environment, Public Radio, companies in which the State is a shareholder) by the group called USR, a group controlled and directed by external forces and which acts against the national interest,” Ponta said on Facebook.

Victor Ponta, who led PSD between 2010 and 2015, encouraged Social Democratic parliamentarians and coalition partners in the National Liberal Party (PNL) to “battle against this anti-Romanian group called USR.” The three parties, alongside the Hungarian minority party UDMR, currently form the governing coalition, reuniting over 65% of the seats in the legislature.

The Social Democratic Party, longtime opponents of the USR reformists, have recently criticized USR representatives like the outgoing defence minister Ionut Mosteanu and environment minister Diana Buzoianu. The first was criticized for irregularities with his studies and eventually resigned, while the latter was blamed by PSD leader Sorin Grindeanu for causing the ongoing Prahova water crisis.

However, chances of the motion passing are small, since PSD and PNL would effectively be voting against their own government. Grindeanu noted that Victor Ponta, who unsuccessfully ran for president early this year, is no longer a member of PSD and that the party's deputies are unlikely to vote for the motion.