BUCHAREST, Dec 15 (Reuters) – Romania’s broad coalition government survived a no-confidence vote on Monday over its economic policies and reform agenda, though internal rifts deepened as the largest coalition party sided with the hard-right opposition in a separate motion targeting a cabinet minister.
The four-party coalition has now weathered six no-confidence votes since taking office about six months ago, most of them linked to controversial tax increases and spending cuts aimed at narrowing the European Union’s largest budget deficit and protecting Romania’s investment-grade credit rating.
Despite remaining in power, the coalition has struggled to reach consensus on key reforms, delaying decisions repeatedly, including postponing the 2026 budget plan until January.
The leftist Social Democrats, the largest party in the coalition and a linchpin of the pro-European majority, have threatened to leave the government unless Liberal Prime Minister Ilie Bolojan agrees to raise the minimum wage next year. They have also demanded the removal of Environment Minister Diana Buzoianu following a water supply shortage earlier this month.
Buzoianu, from the junior centre-right Save Romania Union, has been pursuing reforms of forestry and water agencies long criticised as politicised. While Social Democrat lawmakers voted to keep the government in power on Monday, they joined the opposition in a separate, non-binding motion against Buzoianu. The minister has refused to resign, and both Prime Minister Bolojan and centrist President Nicușor Dan said there was no justification for any cabinet resignations at present.
The government is also pushing ahead with judicial pension reforms, including raising the retirement age for judges and prosecutors and capping their pensions, after the Constitutional Court rejected an earlier version of the legislation in October. The court, which has previously blocked similar pension cuts, is expected to rule on the revised bill on Dec. 28.
Another setback could further weaken the fragile coalition. Judicial pension reform is a key condition for Romania to access European Union recovery and resilience funds. The latest proposal would gradually raise the retirement age for judges and prosecutors to 65 from about 50 over a 15-year period and cap pensions at 70% of final salary. The no-confidence vote came against the backdrop of street protests, after hundreds of judges and prosecutors alleged systemic abuses within the justice system.
