Romanian lawmakers on Tuesday voted to remove Prime Minister Ilie Bolojan from office, dealing a setback to the short‑lived government. The no‑confidence motion passed with 281 votes in favor across the two chambers’ combined 464 seats, comfortably above the 233 votes required for a supermajority.
The outcome deepens uncertainty for the debt‑burdened EU member, which has long struggled to meet the economic benchmarks for joining the eurozone. Romania has been subject to EU excessive deficit procedures since 2020; in the last quarter of 2025 its public deficit reached 7.9% of GDP, well over the EU threshold of 3%.
Bolojan became prime minister in June after President Nicusor Dan brokered a deal between four parties following Dan’s May 2025 presidential rerun victory. The coalition included Bolojan’s centre‑right National Liberal Party (PNL), the Social Democrats (PSD) — the largest single bloc with 93 seats — and two other pro‑EU parties. The government pressed for spending cuts to meet European fiscal targets, a move that proved politically unpopular inside the PSD.
Last month the PSD walked out of the coalition and, together with far‑right opposition forces, filed the no‑confidence motion. Even more deputies voted to remove Bolojan than had backed tabling the motion earlier, underscoring the fragility of the alliance.
In parliamentary debate before the vote, Bolojan described the motion as “cynical and artificial,” arguing it disregarded the difficult fiscal context he faced and that his priorities had been to act on what was urgent and necessary for the country.
George Simion, leader of the far‑right AUR party, hailed the result online, saying the government had been “ousted by the Romanian Parliament” and accusing pro‑European politicians of bringing “taxes, war, and poverty.” PSD leader Sorin Grindeanu said his party was open to quickly forming a new government, urging that “let’s have a government quickly” and insisting that, given the decisive vote, Bolojan should step down. He denied the PSD was entering any lasting alliance with the far right beyond their shared aim of removing the prime minister.
What follows is unclear. Bolojan is expected to leave the premiership and coalition negotiations are likely, with possibilities ranging from a re‑creation of the previous four‑party alliance — which would be needed for a stable majority — to an entirely new arrangement and potentially a different prime minister from one of the coalition parties.
President Nicusor Dan, speaking to reporters and European counterparts before the vote, said he would seek to preserve stability and fiscal discipline. “Political discussions will be difficult, but it is my responsibility — and that of the political parties — to steer Romania in the right direction,” he said, urging markets to stay calm and reaffirming Romania’s commitment to deficit targets.
Romania’s currency, the leu, has weakened slightly against the euro amid the political uncertainty. Bucharest still aspires to join the eurozone but currently does not meet the required economic conditions.