Former Romanian president: No-confidence motion lacks 50-70 votes to pass

The opposition needs 50-70 more votes to pass the no-confidence motion against the Government, said former president Traian Basescu. He assured he would vote the motion, together with his small PMP (Popular Movement Party), even if he was sure of its failure. In fact, Basescu thinks that the opposition PNL (National Liberal Party) leader Ludovic Orban offered a political victory in the Parliament to the senior ruling party - PSD (Social Democrat Party), by filing the motion. The PSD will launch victory propaganda as of Wednesday evening, after the motion fails, which comes as a fresh breath for a party suffocated in its own misery, the former president said. The opposition parties PNL, USR and PMP need 233 votes to pass the motion, which will be debated and voted on Wednesday, June 27. Even with backing from the Democratic Union of Hungarians in Romania (UDMR), the number of votes could go up to maximum 194-195, as the UDMR leader Kelemn Hunor declared. Nevertheless, the UDMR has not yet decided whether to back it or not, local Digi24 reported. Pro- and anti-govt. rallies expected at Romanian Parliament during no-confidence motion vote Romanian state bank ends contract with advertising agency that sends employees to anti-Govt. protest editor@romania-insider.com