Romanian PM-designate fails to win parliamentary support

Romania’s prime minister-designate has failed to win parliamentary support from lawmakers on a new cabinet proposal, which risks prolonging an ongoing political crisis amid an acute surge of coronavirus cases

BUCHAREST, Romania -- Romania’s Prime Minister-designate Dacian Ciolos failed on Wednesday to win parliamentary support from lawmakers on a new cabinet proposal, which risks prolonging an ongoing political crisis amid an acute surge of coronavirus cases.

After failing to rebuild a governing coalition after the Liberal-led government was ousted in a no-confidence vote in early October, centrist USR party leader Ciolos presented a new governing program and a cabinet made up of USR ministers.

But Ciolos’ proposal for a minority government fell well short of the 234 votes it needed to pass. Most lawmakers abstained from voting or voted against it.

“Regardless of the result of the vote, regardless of the political struggle, we share the good or bad results with the citizens. We are in a time of deep crisis,” Ciolos, who has previously served as prime minister, said Wednesday.