Budapest, 15 July 2025 (dpa/MIA) - Romania's new conservative-liberal Prime Minister Ilie Bolojan survived his first no-confidence motion in parliament on Monday, allowing him to push through a controversial austerity package via a legislative trick.

Bolojan had previously linked his austerity package - which includes a 2 percentage point increase in VAT and smaller cuts in government spending - to a vote of confidence, thereby risking his office. The premier has only been in office since June 24.

Out of 464 lower house deputies and senators, only 398 were present and only 138 cast their votes. This meant that formally, the minimum quorum of 233 lawmakers required to approve the motion was not met. Some 134 voted in favour of the extreme right-wing opposition's motion of censure and 4 against.

But Romanian governments have long linked unpopular legislative proposals to no confidence votes in order to put pressure on parliament.

Under this procedure, laws are deemed to have been passed without a vote or debate if no parliamentary group submits a fresh motion of no confidence within three days of the confidence vote that allowed the legislation to clear parliament.

If there is a vote on a motion of no confidence, the government can be toppled together with the project linked to the motion. This method has often been successful in the past.

But on this occasion experts say it is assumed that Romanian lawmakers are voting in favour of the government rather than risk early elections.

Bolojan wants to push through a second austerity package, which will include major reorganization of state institutions, at the end of July.

The austerity programme is considered urgently necessary because, in view of the budget deficit of more than 10%, EU funds could be frozen and international banks could demand higher interest rates from the state.

Photo: EPA