Veștea Government heads to final vote
The Romanian Parliament is scheduled to meet on Monday, June 22, at 9:30 p.m. to vote on the Adrian Veștea Government. Committee hearings will take place from noon until the evening for the individuals proposed for ministerial positions, according to Agerpres.
Romania’s Prime Minister-designate, Adrian Veștea, requested a vote of confidence from Parliament on Sunday evening, June 21, relying on support from the country’s largest party. However, his cabinet faces a slim chance of approval without backing from the far-right opposition.
President Nicușor Dan appointed Veștea earlier that week without consulting his own National Liberal Party (PNL), of which he is a member. Analysts consider this decision “a firm attempt to rebuild a pro-European government capable of implementing reforms and continuing to reduce the largest budget deficit in the European Union.”
The pro-European coalition led by interim Prime Minister and liberal leader Ilie Bolojan collapsed in early May after the Social Democratic Party (PSD) voted alongside the far-right opposition in a motion of no confidence.
On June 21, the PNL reiterated that it would no longer partake in a governing coalition with the PSD and voted to expel Veștea from the party, as well as any member who supported or joined his government.
The PSD leadership, which has indicated it would rejoin a pro-European coalition if it had a prime minister other than Bolojan, decided on Sunday to support Veștea's government. The proposed cabinet includes nine PSD ministers and the Secretary General of the Government.
The PNL's decision not to support Veștea was followed by its junior partners in the former coalition: the Save Romania Union (USR) and the Hungarian Democratic Union of Romania (UDMR). This scenario makes it nearly impossible to approve the cabinet without the votes of independent MPs, political defectors, or the far-right opposition.
At the same time, the Alliance for the Unity of Romanians (AUR) insists that the best solution for Romania would be to organize early elections.
Nicușor Dan and the PSD have found themselves in a difficult situation by proposing a government that cannot pass through Parliament, noted AUR vice-president and senator Petrișor Peiu on Facebook on Monday, June 21.
To assume office, Adrian Veștea must secure the support of at least 233 deputies.
