The Economist

The Romanian government falls

Another one bites the dust
LESS than three months after it took office, Romania's government has fallen. The
centre-right administration, led by Mihai Razvan ng!rean!, a former foreign-
intelligence chief, lost a no-confidence vote filed by the left-"ing o##osition. $hen the
motion "as originally filed fe" tho!ght the government "as in danger. %!t in recent
"eeks it has been "eakened by a series of defections.
&Today there "as '!stice,& said (ictor )onta, leader of the centre-left Social-Liberal
nion *SL+, after sec!ring ,-. votes in favo!r of his motion, fo!r more than he needed.
&$e don't "ant any mor e d!bio!s firms, no more selling !nder the market #rice and
h!ge bribes,& he said in a five-ho!r long debate that #receded the vote.
The r!ling centre-right coalition fell a#art after today's vote, and ref!sed to nominate a
s!ccessor to Mr ng!rean! to lead the government for the si/ months that remain !ntil a
general election. The -0-year old Mr )onta is no" ho#ing to take over as #rime minister
instead. Traian %asesc!, the #resident and main #olitical #layer in Romania, is set to
make an anno!ncement this evening after cons!lting the #arties.
Mr %asesc! #ro#osed Mr )onta as #rime minister back in 1ebr!ary "hen the #revio!s
government, led by Emil %oc, resigned after three "eeks of street #rotests deno!ncing
#arty cronyism, incom#etence and harsh a!sterity meas!res. Mr )onta ref!sed, b!t he
no" seems more "illing to ste# in thanks to the fair-"eather #oliticians "ho have flocked
to his #arty from the centre-right. The Liberal 2emocratic )arty, "hich had led the
coalition, is no" set to s!ffer a reso!nding loss in local elections in 3!ne as "ell as
4ovember's general election.
Mr %oc, still leader of the #arty, called today's vote &a victory for o##ort!nism in #olitics
and #arty-s"a##ing&. 5e !rged the o##osition to form a government 6!ickly to avoid any
more #olitical and economic instability than necessary.
The 7M1, "hich began an official visit to Romania earlier this "eek to revie" the
co!ntry's #erformance linked to a 8. billion credit line it "as granted last year,
anno!nced it "o!ld s!s#end its mission !ntil a ne" government is in #lace.
That may not take long. %!t "ith Romanian governments sho"ing the longevity of
mayflies, and the E!ro#ean nion "eary of a co!ntry that seems !nable or !n"illing to
make serio!s #rogress on the corr!#tion #roblems that contin!e to #lag!e it five years
after it "as acce#ted into the cl!b, it "ill take a good deal longer for Romania to ac6!ire
the clo!t that sho!ld come nat!rally to an E co!ntry "ith ,,m #eo#le.