Romania was again left without a government and fell into a severe political crisis right at the peak of the fourth wave of the pandemic. But this time, many see President Klaus Johannes as to blame. What is happening in Romania?
Coalition intrigue, ministerial reshuffles and resignations – the political chaos in Romania has intensified in recent weeks. It also ended on Tuesday: the government of National Liberal Prime Minister Florin Katsu, who ruled for only nine months, fell after a no-confidence vote initiated by the opposition Social Democratic Party. Thus, Romania was again left without a government – at the peak of the fourth wave of Covid, which led to overcrowding of hospitals and the emergence of almost 15,000 new cases of infection on average every day.
The vote of no confidence was adopted by more than 90 percent of the votes present in the hall of deputies. Two other parties, the far-right Alliance for the Unification of Romanians and the Union of Green Liberals for the Salvation of Romania, also called for a similar vote.
Political instability has been going on for years
Romania is in an absurd political situation. After the parliamentary elections in December last year, for the first time since 2012, the country’s ruling majority was elected, which does not conflict with the country’s president. Former President Traian Basescu and current Klaus Johannes have for many years been at war with the Social Democrats, who relied on nationalist and anti-reform policies. The powers granted by the Romanian constitution to both the government and the president have led to a political blockade for decades. Constitutional reform has never been carried out.
Since 2012, 17 prime ministers and 13 governments have changed in Romania. In the country’s policy, marked by the failure of reforms and serious social problems, one thing is stable – instability.
Last year’s parliamentary elections created the conditions to change that. The National Liberal Party, close to President Johannes, has managed to form a coalition with the Green Liberal Union for the Salvation of Romania and the Hungarian minority party, the Democratic Union of Hungarians in Romania. Florin Katsu’s new cabinet has unveiled an ambitious reform agenda, mainly in the areas of public administration and the judiciary.
Who really wants to reform Romania?
However, it turned out that the national liberals and representatives of the Hungarians were not so interested in measures to combat corruption, depoliticize public administration and close a special bloc to control and punish independent prosecutors and judges, established in 2018 by the Social Democrats.
Tensions between the coalition partners escalated in August when Prime Minister Florin Katsu fired the justice minister of the Union for the Salvation of Romania. And his party withdrew from the ruling coalition.
There is also a struggle for supremacy among the ruling national liberals. In late September, Prime Minister Katsu was elected party leader, and former parliamentary speaker Ludovic Orban threatened to split it.
President Johannes did not live up to expectations
Expressing a vote of no confidence, President Klaus Johannes accused “politicians” of the crisis in which Romania found itself. Instead of tackling the problems caused by the pandemic and fuel prices, they have plunged the country into new political uncertainty.