BUCHAREST (Reuters) – Romania’s three opposition far-right parties filed a motion of no confidence in the pro-European coalition government on Tuesday, a move likely to fail but also to boost the parties’ public profile ahead of a re-run presidential election.
The three parties won around 35% of seats in a Dec. 1 parliamentary election, capitalizing on popular anger with a centrist establishment mired in accusations of corruption.
In their no-confidence motion, Romania’s second largest party, the Alliance for Uniting Romanians (AUR), along with SOS Romania and the Young People’s Party (POT), accused the two-month-old government of corruption and of losing credibility.
Political analysts expect the Social Democrat-led coalition to survive the no-confidence vote but say it is another example of the far-right parties flexing their muscles as Romania girds for a rerun of a cancelled presidential election that a far-right NATO critic, Calin Georgescu, had looked set to win.
The three parties’ move to impeach President Klaus Iohannis, a centrist who remained in post in a caretaker capacity after the cancellation of the presidential election, prompted him to resign this month to avoid casting Romania into an extended foreign policy crisis and further boosting the far-right.
The speaker of parliament is now acting head of state until the planned rerun of the presidential election in May.
Last year’s presidential contest was cancelled after Georgescu’s victory in the first round on November 24 prompted accusations of Russian interference – denied by Moscow – that finally led to the annulment of the entire ballot.
Members of U.S. President Donald Trump’s administration have sharply criticised Romania for annulling its election. U.S. Vice President JD Vance said the cancellation meant Romania does not share American values, while billionaire Elon Musk labelled the chief judge of the top court that annulled the vote a “tyrant”.
Musk has previously reposted Georgescu’s comments as well as podcasts by right-wing hosts such as Alex Jones that featured the Romanian politician.
Georgescu, who has praised Romania’s 1930s fascist leaders and expressed admiration for both the U.S. and Russian presidents, remains voters’ top choice for the presidency, according to opinion polls.
(Reporting by Luiza Ilie; Editing by Gareth Jones)
