Romania’s pro-Europe government collapses unleashing fresh turmoil

Ilie Bolojan’s PNL loses confidence vote after less than a year amid austerity drive and far-right surge

Romania’s pro-European government has collapsed after losing a confidence vote, unleashing renewed political turmoil less than a year after the ruling coalition was sworn in and with the far right surging in the polls.

“This censure motion is false, cynical and artificial,” the liberal prime minister, Ilie Bolojan, told parliamentarians before the vote on Tuesday. “Any country in a multitude of crises would try to consolidate governments, not to change them.”