The government faces motion of no-confidence

The Liberal opposition in Romania has tabled a motion of no-confidence against the Social Democrat government.

Bogdan Matei, 24.09.2015, 14:07

On Wednesday, the motion of no-confidence
tabled by the Liberal opposition was read before the two chambers of
Parliament. Its initiators took the opportunity to reiterate their claim that
given the charges brought by anti-corruption prosecutors against prime minister
Victor Ponta, namely forgery and accessory to tax evasion and money laundering,
Victor Ponta should no longer have the authority to sign bills and approve the
state budget.

According to the leader of the Liberal group
Eugen Nicolaescu, in any other EU country, a prime minister in Victor Ponta’s
situation would have already resigned. He recalled that his party had been
asking for Mr Ponta’s resignation since June 5th when the National
Anti-Corruption Directorate made public its accusations against him. Also on
Wednesday, before leaving for Brussels, president Klaus Iohannis said it would
be a good thing if the adoption passed.

Just like Dan Sova, a former university
colleague and later business partner of Victor Ponta and who worked under him
in the party and in the cabinet, Mr Ponta is accused of involvement in illegal
actions at the Rovinari and Turceni energy companies that caused the state more
than 16 million euros in losses.

Convinced that the gravity of the charges
brought against the prime minister should prevail over any political loyalty,
the Liberals called on the parties in the government coalition to vote in
favour of the motion on September 29th. In order to be passed by
Parliament, the motion needs a majority of 276 yes votes. However, by the time
it was submitted, the motion had only been endorsed by 180 MPs, mostly from the
National Liberal Party. Kelemen Hunor, the leader of the second largest party
in opposition, the Democratic Union of Ethnic Hungarians in Romania, said most
of his MPs would vote in favour of the motion. For the motion to pass, however,
more votes are needed from the parties in the ruling coalition, which won’t be
easy.

The interim president of the Social Democratic
Party, Liviu Dragnea, says the party will support its former leader whose prime
ministerial performance they see as a success. The party’s spokeswoman,
Gabriela Firea, says the situation of prime minister Ponta has not changed,
because he remains innocent until the court gives its final verdict. The junior
partners of the Social Democrats said they would support the coalition. Led by
the deputy prime minister and interior minister Gabriel Oprea, the National
Union for the Progress of Romania announced they would vote against the motion,
while the leader of the Liberals’ and Democrats’ Alliance and Senate speaker
Calin Popescu Tariceanu believes that Ponta’s case is an example of how the
judiciary can be used as a political weapon to help a group take over power
by eliminating its rivals.

Even commentators believe the motion has slim
chances to pass, while noting that Romania’s image is greatly affected by the
fact that its prime minister is facing corruption charges.