A late-night vote in the Romanian Parliament on the approval of a new government ended in failure. Prime ministerial candidate Adrian Veștea acknowledged defeat after failing to secure the necessary parliamentary support.
The second candidate nominated by President Nicușor Dan was unable to win the backing of a parliamentary majority. He received the votes of only 189 deputies and senators, well short of the 233 required for confirmation.
This time, critics pointed to the president himself as the main reason for the failure. About an hour and a half before the vote, Veștea reportedly reached an agreement with the sovereigntist Alliance for the Union of Romanians. However, party leader George Simion did not receive the apology from the president that he had reportedly demanded as one of the conditions for support.
As a result, Simion, whose party controls around 90 seats, withdrew his representatives from the chamber, a move that proved decisive. They were followed by representatives of the Hungarian political bloc and the Save Romania Union, both of which had previously been part of the governing coalition.
Veștea also failed to secure the backing of the National Liberal Party, the party from which he originates, after reportedly acting against the wishes of its leadership. In addition, the Save Romania Union and SOS Romania voted against his candidacy.
The failed vote leaves Romania facing continued political uncertainty, forcing President Nicușor Dan to consider further consultations with parliamentary parties and potentially nominate another candidate capable of assembling a governing majority.
