Romania's President Dan Appoints Vestea as New Head of Government – Bolojan Calls It a Hostile Act

Bolojan, who is held in high regard by many Romanians as extremely reform-minded and pro-European, was ousted by parliament on May 5 through a vote of no confidence, at the request of the previously co-governing Social Democrats (PSD) and AUR. Until his ouster on May 5, Bolojan governed at the head of a coalition of the PSD, PNL, USR, and UDMR.

Background: Dispute over austerity measures

The background to his removal was a dispute over austerity measures. The Social Democrats had wanted to block planned reforms by Bolojan, which would have cost lucrative contracts between state-owned companies and PSD-affiliated private firms. At the end of April, the PSD left the coalition and has since reinforced the opposition bench in parliament, together with the far-right and EU-skeptic AUR as the second-strongest party, as well as three other small far-right parties.

Currently, Bolojan governs in an acting capacity, with limited powers. Bolojan criticized the new nomination by President Dan, saying he himself had not been informed in advance. The move was "a hostile act, an obvious attempt to split the PNL".

Criticism from within his own ranks

Romanian media consider it a foregone conclusion that Dan views the reformer Bolojan as a personal rival and therefore wants to eliminate him. The appointment of Vestea is seen in Bucharest as a further indication of this reading, as the newcomer within the PNL belongs to a small faction that is rebelling against the party leader and former head of government Ilie Bolojan.

The EU parliamentarian Eugen Tomac, nominated ten days ago for the office of prime minister, abandoned his attempt to form a government, as he no longer saw any chance of securing a majority in parliament. He had seen no support for his course, was the stated reason for his withdrawal.

Difficult majority conditions

Officially, no party wants to form a coalition with the AUR. Arithmetically, building a pro-European majority in parliament without the PSD is difficult. Vestea thus faces a similar task to his predecessor Tomac: putting together a government-capable majority beyond the Social Democrats and the far-right AUR is likely to prove extremely arduous.

Romania is a member of both the European Union and NATO. The outcome of the government formation in Bucharest is therefore being followed with attention in Brussels and Washington, as the country is considered a reliable pro-Western partner on the alliance's eastern flank.