The center-right Romanian government has been about to break up since December 2020 with one party drawing up a resolution of no confidence against Prime Minister Florin Cîțu on Thursday.
On Wednesday after the National Liberal Party (NLPCî )’s Temporu, tensions boiled down and ousted the second largest coalition member, Justice Minister Stelian Ion (USR PLUS), through a disputed local spending scheme. A party insider told us that the movement of Cîțu took USR PLUS by surprise.
Dan Barna, the U.S. leadership of PLUS and a deputy coalition prime minister, on Wednesday afternoon, sought the negotiation of the local expenditure plan transparency measures. Their main aim was to obtain support from strong province politicians in the next PNL elections. The third governing party, the Democratic Alliance of Hungarians in Romania, supported the PNL’s budget plan proposal.
However Cîțu dismissed Ion around dark on Wednesday accusing him of being “blackmailed” to refrain from approving the program of expenditure. Ion’s dismissal was signed on Thursday morning by President Klaus Iohannis who is “analysing.” For his side, Ion accused the PNL of tampering with the selection of senior prosecutors, claiming that his removal was associated with his attempts at making the process more open and his refusal to rubber stamp the expenditure plan.
“We do not know what provoked Cîțu, but we believe that was a display of strength among the internalization of the PNL,” said the USR PLUS adviser, who told the leadership about what was happening.
On Thursday morning, the party requested an emergency discussions to replace the Cîțu, and said it was preparing a move of no confidence in a statement.
“USRPLUS has withdrawn political support from the country for Prime Minister Cîțu, who has put the country into the political crisis.” “USR PLUS has never been plundered for public money and will not ever underwrite that.”
“Romania, success! We win big time today!” In a post-Thursday morning on Facebook, Cîțu remarked.
During the summer, Cîțu has been embroiled in a terrible struggle against PNL presidential rule this month with his former boss and current party head Ludovic Orban.
After reports in the news revealed that he had been arrested for drunk driving while studying in the United States in 2000, Cîțu has come under greater pressure. He admitted that he had too much to drink at the birthday party of his colleague.
Additional statements are expected this afternoon from party leaders and Cîțu. No answer was received from Cîțu or from a PNL Speaker.
