Europe30 September, 20262 min read
Romanian Parliament Rejects Siegfried Muresan, Deepening Political Crisis After 182 Votes
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Parliament rejects PM-designate Siegfried Muresan; 182 of 233 votes. Third failed nomination deepens Romania's political crisis and risks snap elections.
Muresan vote fails
Romania’s parliament rejected Siegfried Muresan’s programme and proposed cabinet, leaving the country in a deeper political crisis after Muresan secured only 182 votes out of the 233 required to win a confidence motion. Muresan, a Member of the European Parliament and the latest of three designated prime ministers, said after the result was announced that "The parties that triggered the political crisis have voted to prolong it … We are now waiting to see what position the President … will take," according to Balkan Insight. President Nicusor Dan then faced the next step of nominating another prime minister candidate, with the law allowing him to dissolve parliament and call an early election if two prime ministers-designate fail to secure parliamentary backing within 60 days.
Romania had been operating under an interim government since May 5 after the collapse of the previous cabinet, and Dan had made two previous nominations for prime minister that also failed to secure parliamentary support. BGNES reported that Muresan’s candidacy was rejected by parliament and that he received just 182 of the 233 votes required to approve his proposed government, increasing the likelihood of snap elections.
AUR, PSD and Dan
AUR leader George Simion said the party would not vote for Muresan until the far-right politician Calin Georgescu "is freed from prison," and Balkan Insight reported that a court ordered 30 days’ detention for Georgescu on Tuesday. Muresan’s proposed cabinet had backing from the centre-right National Liberals, PNL, and two smaller former coalition partners, while the Social Democrats, PSD, rejected it, according to Balkan Insight. POLITICO.eu said Dan does not want a vote that would risk handing power to the far right, and it quoted Dan asking parties to come up with "solutions this time which can pass."
Dan would hold more talks with party leaders and nominate a new candidate for prime minister on Monday, after the second formal rejection of his nominee. Al Jazeera said President Nicusor Dan would nominate a new prime minister candidate on Monday afternoon after holding talks with the leaders of the parliamentary parties to avoid snap elections.
EU, deficit and risk
The vote raises the possibility of the hard-right Alliance for Uniting Romanians (AUR) forming a new ruling majority with the leftist Social Democrats (PSD), which it said could jeopardize Romania’s budget deficit reduction efforts. Ratings agencies emphasized the importance of Romania approving a budget for 2027 that reduces the deficit to maintain its investment grade rating.
Romania’s political crisis is tied to the largest budget deficit in the European Union and to securing access to 11 billion euros in EU recovery funds, while it also warned that a new government could threaten economic stability and compromise rule of law and democratic principles. Romania has been struggling for months with the highest public deficit and inflation in the European Union, and it described the crisis as a boost for the rising far right.