Romania’s president Klaus Iohannis nominated outgoing prime minister Ludovic Orban to form a new government on Thursday, a day after Orban’s cabinet was dismissed after losing a no-confidence vote brought by the leftist opposition.
Iohannis, from Orban’s National Liberal Party (PNL), has said he would favor the country heading to an early election. However, the president can only dissolve parliament if two attempts to install a new executive within 60 days fail.
Iohannis announced his decision to put forward Orban again: “Until then, we’re taking the next step: nominating a person tasked with forming a new government”, he said.
The no-confidence motion was put forward by the opposition Social Democrats, PSD, and the ethnic Hungarian party UDMR, who had criticized Orban for pushing to alter electoral laws without a public debate. Lawmakers voted 261-139 to dismiss the government. 233 votes are enough to dismiss it.
The event is seen as moving a step closer to snap general elections. In the meantime, Orban is likely to stay in office as a caretaker prime minister with limited powers.
According to the country’s constitution, if a Cabinet is dismissed by a no-confidence vote in Parliament, it remains in office to manage the current public affairs, but without promoting new policies, adopting ordinances or initiating draft laws, until the new ministers will swear in.
