Romanian government falls in no-confidence vote after 78 days

Romania’s centre-right government led by PM Mihai Razvan Ungureanu lost a confidence vote today after 78 days of governing.

The no-confidence bill was filed by the liberal and centre-left opposition (USL) and won 235 votes in the 471-seat chamber, while the government was backed by only got 9 lawmakers. It is for the second time parliament has dismissed a government since the fall of Communism in 1989.

Romania's centre-right government lead by PM Mihai Razvan Ungureanu lost a confidence vote today after 78 days of governing

The issue at stake were cuts to wages and pensions aimed at scrapping some of the imbalances in the system and requested by the International Monetary Fund (IMF).

President Traian Basescu will nominate a new prime minister who must then win parliament’s approval.

Opposition leader Victor Ponta welcomed the vote saying it marked the end of “an abusive system that uses any weapon possible”.

“Today there was justice,” he said.