Romania’s president Klaus Iohannis nominated outgoing prime minister Ludovic Orban to form a new government on Thursday, a day after Orban’s cabinet was dismissed after losing a no-confidence vote brought by the leftist opposition.
Iohannis, from Orban’s National Liberal Party (PNL), has said he would favor the country heading to an early election. However, the president can only dissolve parliament if two attempts to install a new executive within 60 days fail.
Iohannis announced his decision to put forward Orban again: “Until then, we’re taking the next step: nominating a person tasked with forming a new government”, he said.
The no-confidence motion was put forward by the opposition Social Democrats, PSD, and the ethnic Hungarian party UDMR, who had criticized Orban for pushing to alter electoral laws without a public debate. Lawmakers voted 261-139 to dismiss the government. 233 votes are enough to dismiss it.
The event is seen as moving a step closer to snap general elections. In the meantime, Orban is likely to stay in office as a caretaker prime minister with limited powers.
According to the country’s constitution, if a Cabinet is dismissed by a no-confidence vote in Parliament, it remains in office to manage the current public affairs, but without promoting new policies, adopting ordinances or initiating draft laws, until the new ministers will swear in.
Orban renominated as Romanian prime minister
EPA-EFE/BOGDAN CRISTEL
Romania's interim Prime Minister and head of the National Liberal Party (PNL), Ludovic Orban, attends a session of the Parliament in Bucharest, Romania, 03 February 2020 (reissued 06 February 2020). After consultations with political parties Romania's President Klaus Iohannis designated Orban to form a new goverment. The PNL minority government, headed by Orban, was toppled with a no-confidence vote issued by the opposition in Parliament on 05 February 2020.
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