Political pressure spirals as Romania govt braces for censure motion

As Romania’s Social Democratic Government gets ready to face a censure motion on Thursday, political pressure has been rising with prime minister’s attempts to lure back defectors and opposition clashing over governing prospects.

President Klaus Iohannis on Tuesday attacked the PSD government of Viorica Dancila again, accusing it of setting the promotion of imposture and an assault on the rule of law as its priorities.

• Iohannis is the lead contender for a new term as he prepares for the presidential elections in November. Dancila also runs in the elections, but with marginal support and Iohannis has set her as the main target of his political discourse for the past months.

Now Dancila is facing her most important obstacle so far – a censure motion in the Parliament on Thursday, for which, for the first time, she has yet to secure the necessary votes as the opposition proved last week that it held a majority.

On Monday, Dancila informed PSD politicians that she would increase the amount of money that the Government pays for town halls. And his Finance minister Eugen Teodorovici announced the same day that the Government would modify the budget by the end of the week – that is, after the censure motion – to give out RON1.4 billion to city halls.

The move was largely seen as an attempt to lure PSD officials who have moved away from the official party line and broke the majority the party held in Parliament.

The PSD also promised in Facebook posts on Tuesday that it would secure a rise of salaries in January 2020 and January 2021, as well as other bonuses for state employees.

• All these promises of more money for local authorities or salaries come as the Government has yet to make the slightest move towards setting up a state budget for 2020.

Preparations to bring down Dancila’s government in Parliament have also had the main opposition parties moving on what is next to come. A former leader of the PSD who has set up a separate party, Pro Romania, Victor Ponta has voiced his interest into his new group forming a government with the PSD, but without Viorica Dancila.

The leader of the opposition group USR, Dan Barna – another key contender in the presidential elections in November – reacted by saying he would not support any government that would include the PSD.

The leader of the main opposition group, Ludovic Orban of the National Liberal Party (PNL) said any relevant discussion about a future government and prime minister would take place after the censure motion vote.