The Collapse of the Romanian Government
Political Instability May Have Serious Consequences
Oct 16, 2009
The Romanian Government collapsed on Tuesday, October 13, after the no-confidence vote of the Parliament. The dismissal of the Boc Government comes in the context of a deep economic recession and harsh criticism from the European Union, with the potential effect of deepening the image of political instability and failed economic reforms.
The Political Context
The no-confidence motion was initiated by the National Liberal Party (PNL) and the Democrat Union of Hungarians in Romania (UDMR) against the government led by Prime Minister Emil Boc. Initially, it did not enjoy the support of the Social Democrats (PSD), who were forming the coalition with the Democrats (PDL). However, the governmental coalition broke on October 2, when all the PSD ministers withdrew from the government and all the PDL ministers took over two portfolios. The Social-Democrats became strong supporters of the no-confidence vote, accusing the Boc Government of corruption and of destroying the Romanian economy.
The No-confidence Vote
The no-confidence motion was adopted on November 13, with 254 votes in favor and 176 votes against. It was the first time since the fall of communism (1989) that the Parliament has dismissed a government. Following this procedure Boc remained acting prime minister. On October 15 President Traian Basescu designated the new prime minister, Lucian Croitoru. Mr. Croitoru served as Romanian's representative to the International Monetary Fund and as adviser to the Governor of the Romanian National Bank.
The new prime minister must form a new Governmental Cabinet until October 25, which will have to obtain the approval of the Parliament. However, the new nomination does not seem to have many supporters in the opposition. The Social-Democrat Mircea Geaona, one of the opposition leaders and a presidential candidate for the November elections said that "by nominating someone who would have no support from the Parliament, President Basescu has proven political lack of responsibility".
Potential Consequences
Although the European Union's (EU) representatives refused to comment on the issue, it is expected the collapse of the Romanian government might have serious political and economic consequences. According to the EU expert George Dura, "a long political crisis could weaken the Romanian voice within the European Union. This would represent a serious disadvantage, especially in the context of the Lisbon Treaty, when the European officials have to decide on important portfolios, like the President of the EU or the EU Minister for Foreign Affairs"
The collapse of the government could also have a negative impact on the economic recovery of the country. Romania has been one of the European nations hit the hardest by soaring inflation and unemployment. However, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) announced that it would continue its financial aid to the East European country. Jeffrey Franks, the chief of the IMF mission in Romania said that "IMF programs support sound economic policies, not a particular government or political party".
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