Romania’s Prime Minister Ilie Bolojan has been removed from office after losing a parliamentary no-confidence vote.
Lawmakers voted decisively to oust him, with 281 MPs backing the motion—well above the 233 required. The move came after the left-wing Social Democratic Party withdrew from Bolojan’s four-party coalition and sided with far-right opposition groups to force the vote.
Tensions had been building for weeks between the Social Democrats and Bolojan, a liberal, largely over austerity policies designed to reduce Romania’s budget deficit. These measures proved unpopular with the Social Democrats’ voter base, deepening divisions within the coalition.
President Nicușor Dan is now expected to begin talks to form a new government, likely under a different prime minister. He has emphasized that Romania will remain aligned with the European Union and NATO despite the political upheaval.
Although the next elections are not scheduled until 2028—and an early vote appears unlikely—the situation has unsettled financial markets. Concerns are growing that political instability could slow efforts to reduce what is currently the largest budget deficit in the EU. Reflecting this uncertainty, Romania’s currency, the leu, dropped to a record low against the euro ahead of the vote.
Bolojan’s coalition had only been in power for 10 months, originally formed to counter the growing influence of the far-right Alliance for Uniting Romanians (AUR), which secured about one-third of parliamentary seats.
President Dan himself came to power after a closely contested election last May, following the annulment of a previous vote amid allegations of fraud and foreign interference.
While the outgoing coalition had made some progress in reducing the deficit, internal disagreements—especially over economic policies—ultimately led to its collapse. The Social Democrats have indicated they may return to a pro-EU governing alliance, but only under new leadership.
For now, Bolojan will remain in office in a caretaker capacity until a new government is approved.
