Romania’s Alliance of Liberals and Democrats (ALDE) has pulled out of the coalition it entered into with the Social Democrats (PSD) after the 2016 parliamentary election.
On the 26th of August, ALDE announced that it had pulled support for the government and forged an alliance with an opposition party, PRO Romania. This move has left the government on the brink of collapse.
What Happened?
On the 22nd of August, The Election Network published an article on the tensions between the two partners. Although ALDE announced that it quit the government over policy differences, many suspect that the scheduled November presidential election may be a major factor leading to the breakdown of relations between the two parties.
Despite being allies until now, both the PSD and ALDE fielded separate candidates for the presidential seat. ALDE leader who is also running for the presidential seat, Calin Popescu-Tariceanu, reportedly expected the PSD to back his candidacy. Instead, the PSD nominated its leader, Prime Minister Viorica Dancila, for the election. Popescu-Tariceanu hinted that this could generate problems within the coalition.
Following the ALDE’s announcement, three ALDE minsters have already quit the cabinet, Euractiv notes. Prime Minister Dancila has 45 days to propose new ministers to fill the positions and then seek a vote of confidence from the parliament for the new cabinet. That will, however, prove difficult, as PSD no longer has the support of the majority in the 465-seat parliament.
Where Does This Leave the government?
Opposition parties are keen on capitalizing on the split, with the National Liberal Party (PNL) announcing plans to table a no-confidence motion against PM Dancila.
PM Dancilla has already survived three no-confidence votes since she became Prime Minister in 2018. However, without the support of ALDE, she may not have the votes to survive this one as opposition parties have also vowed to not support her.
Parliamentary elections are scheduled for December 2020, but it is uncertain whether the PSD will survive until then. If the PSD government lose the confidence vote, this could trigger snap elections.
Alternatively, other parties could form a government, but as Business Review notes: “no party really wants to take the power [in Romania] until the next parliamentary election.”
