The Romanian parliament overthrew on Tuesday the minority government of PM Florin Citu in a no-confidence vote.
prominent parties said they will work to return to power the former majority coalition soon.
Romania, which is one of the poorest countries in the EU, has been in a political deadlock for a month.
This political situation threatens the economic recovery from the pandemic and stales the efforts to reduce large twin deficits.
“Citu’s government fell by a big margin, way above the minimum required (of 234 votes),” an opposition deputy said.
The final ballot count showed that 281 senators and deputies voted to overthrow Citu.
Citu will stay as caretaker until a new PM gains Parliament’s confidence.
The coalition of Citu collapsed last month after the centrist USR withdrew its ministers in a dispute over regional development funding, which stripped him of the majority.
Then, the USR filed a no-confidence, refusing to return to the government until Citu is no longer premier.
President Klaus Iohannis urged parties to consult next week on forming a new government before he nominates a new PM.
The new premier is likely going to be from the ranks of Iohannis’ ally, Citu’s center Liberal Party.
“Romania must be governed. We are in a pandemic, an energy price crisis…and now a political crisis.” Iohannis said.
Iohannis, coalition partners, the ethnic Hungarian UDMR and the USR, have said that a three-party political government is the best for Romania.
This government oversees an EU-backed recovery plan that is worth 29.2 billion euros.
The most likely to happen is the return of the former coalition that had the 57% majority.
“We’re open to rebuilding our centrist ruling coalition,” USR senior Dan Barna said.
The USR joined forces on Tuesday with the opposition ultra-national AUR and Social Democrats to topple Citu.
