Romania’s Social Democratic Party, PSD said on Monday that it is withdrawing its backing for Prime Minister Ilie Bolojan of the National Liberal Party, raising questions about the future of his government.
The PSD expressed dissatisfaction with Bolojan’s reform measures, which have focused mainly on raising taxes, cutting public spending and reducing the number of public sector employees.
“When we joined this coalition last June, we had three key priorities: safeguarding living standards, continuing vital investments, and supporting the national economy,” PSD leader Sorin Grindeanu said.
“Today, we see that all these goals have failed. That is why we choose to be a vocal opposition rather than a government that bows its head in defeat,” Grindeanu added.
The policies of Bolojan’s government have alienated the PSD’s traditional voter base, primarily older and more conservative citizens, while simultaneously boosting support for far-right parties. These parties already hold roughly a third of parliamentary seats.
Later this week, the PSD plans to withdraw its six ministers from the cabinet, leaving the coalition without a parliamentary majority.
In a public statement on Sunday ahead of the formal announcement of the PSD’s decision, Prime Minister Bolojan declared he will not resign. Instead, he intends to appoint interim ministers from the current cabinet to temporarily manage the redistributed portfolios.
Meanwhile, the far-right opposition Alliance for the Union of Romanians, AUR party, currently leading in opinion polls, has announced plans to table a no-confidence motion in the coming weeks.