Government crisis in Romania: Parliament dismisses prime minister
The Romanian parliament has passed a vote of no confidence in Prime Minister Ilie Balajan, forcing him to leave office, the BBC reports .
Ilie Balajan. Photo: AP Photo/Vadim Ghirda
The decision was supported by 281 deputies — significantly more than the required minimum. This became possible after the Social Democrats, who were previously part of the ruling coalition, left it and joined the opposition.
The main reason for the conflict was disagreements over economic policy. Balajan's government pursued strict austerity measures to reduce the budget deficit, but this caused discontent among the Social Democrats, as such steps negatively affected their voters.
Now, the country's president, Nicușor Dan, must try to form a new coalition and appoint another prime minister. He emphasized that Romania will continue its pro-European course and remain oriented towards the EU and NATO.
Early elections are not yet planned — the next ones are due in 2028. However, political instability has already caused concern in financial markets: the exchange rate of the Romanian currency has fallen, and there is a risk that the country will find it harder to meet its economic obligations.
Ilie Balajan will continue to serve as acting prime minister until a new government is appointed.
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