Romanian PM-designate fails to win parliamentary support

Published October 20, 2021 4:26 AM

By STEPHEN McGRATH
Associated Press

BUCHAREST, Romania (AP) — Romania’s prime minister-designate has failed to win parliamentary support from lawmakers on a new cabinet proposal, which risks prolonging an ongoing political crisis amid an acute surge of coronavirus cases. After failing to rebuild a governing coalition after the Liberal-led government was ousted in a no-confidence vote in early October, centrist USR party leader Dacian Ciolos presented a new governing program and a cabinet made up of USR ministers. But Ciolos’ proposal for a minority government fell well short of the 234 votes it needed to pass. Most lawmakers abstained from voting or voted against it.