Romania has entered a deeper political deadlock after parliament rejected the latest government proposal put forward by Prime Minister-designate Adrian Veștea, marking the second failed attempt by President Nicușor Dan to form a new cabinet since the fall of the previous administration.
Only 189 lawmakers supported Veștea’s proposed center-right cabinet, well below the 233 votes required for approval. The result leaves the country without a functioning government and prolongs an institutional stalemate that has already lasted more than a month.
Veștea’s nomination followed the collapse of Ilie Bolojan’s government, which was removed in a no-confidence vote in May. Since then, President Dan has struggled to secure parliamentary backing for a successor, with the previous nominee, Eugen Tomac, also failing to gain majority support.
Following the vote, Veștea acknowledged the outcome but defended his position, writing on Facebook: “Today’s vote was not the one we had hoped for in Romania. But the vote is sovereign, and I respect it. Forty-seven days without a government are already costing us too much: European funds, trust, and time.”
Political tensions were further heightened within the National Liberal Party, where internal divisions played a decisive role in the outcome. Former prime minister Ilie Bolojan, who remains party leader, openly opposed Veștea’s appointment after what he described as a breach of party discipline in accepting the presidential mandate to form a government. After the failed vote, Bolojan commented on social media that “the betrayals have shown their limits.”
