</s>The no-confidence motion against the Romanian Government led by Viorica Dancila failed as the opposition only gathered 166 of the needed 233 votes for it to pass. The result was predictable as the ruling coalition’s MPs didn’t even take part in the vote and neither did the Hungarian Union’s (UDMR) MPs.

During the political speeches before the vote on the motion, the opposition MPs accused the Dancila cabinet of trying to keep Social Democratic Party (PSD) leader Liviu Dragnea out of jail. Meanwhile, PM Viorica Dancila held a one-hour speech in which she accused the opposition of lying and manipulating the public. She spoke about pension and salary increases and about Romania’s good economic results under PSD. However, she also made several mistakes in her speech, referring to the World Bank (Banca Mondiala in Romanian) as the Monetary Bank (Banca Monetara in Romanian), according to News.ro.

A few thousand people gathered in Izvor Park, next to the Parliament’s Palace, to protest against the ruling coalition. They asked for the Government’s resignation and were greeted by opposition leaders. A few dozen people also gathered close to the Parliament’s Palace in support of the Government.

Pro- and anti-govt. rallies expected at Romanian Parliament during no-confidence motion vote</s>BUCHAREST, Romania — Romania’s left-wing government easily survived a no-confidence vote Wednesday that was submitted by the opposition in Parliament, which claimed it has weakened democracy and the rule of law.

The motion initiated by the Liberal Party secured 166 votes, far short of the 233 it needed to dismiss the government of Prime Minister Viorica Dancila. She was appointed in January, becoming the third premier since the ruling Social Democratic Party came to power through the December 2016 parliamentary election.

The powerful leader of the Social Democrats, Liviu Dragnea, received a 3 1/2 year sentence last week for abuse of power in office. His party has rallied around him, pending a final verdict. Dragnea can’t be prime minister due to a 2016 vote-rigging conviction.

Thousands of Romanians gathered in a park near Parliament ahead of Wednesday’s vote, yelling “Resign!” and waving Romanian flags while riot police stood guard. Some companies gave employees the day off to protest.

Dancila defended the government’s performance, saying it had raised salaries and pensions while insisting that opposition lawmakers created “a list of falsehoods made in bad faith.”

Opposition lawmakers booed the prime minister as she spoke and unfurled a giant banner reading, “We will fight to the end for Romania.” Social Democratic lawmakers did not vote.

Romanians have staged daily protests as the governments moves to implement new laws that critics say will weaken the nation’s fight against corruption.

Dan Barna, leader of the opposition Union to Save Romania, said the Social Democrats were guilty of “changing laws to make sure Dragnea doesn’t go to prison.”</s>Romania’s five-month-old Social Democrat (PSD) government defeated a parliamentary motion of no-confidence on Wednesday while thousands rallied outside to demand its resignation.

The centrist opposition called the vote, accusing the cabinet of prime minister Viorica Dancila and the ruling party of trying to weaken anti-corruption laws and institutions.

It followed a preliminary jail sentence handed down on PSD chief Liviu Dragnea last week for graft offences. Dragnea holds a tight grip on the party and is seen as the de-facto government head and architect of its policy.

The move to topple the government was doomed to fail. Only 166 deputies from the fragmented opposition supported the motion, well short of the 233 votes – 50 per cent of deputies plus one – required under the constitution for no-confidence motions to succeed.

The PSD and its small ally Alde – which together hold 249 of the 465 seats in parliament – did not vote, confident that the opposition would fail to reach the threshold.

About 4,000 people chanted outside parliament during the debate, blowing whistles and vuvuzela horns.

Raluca Turcan, deputy president of the centrist National Liberal Party, accused the PSD of undermining a European Union-backed drive to tackle corruption. “Today’s motion has been about the dismissal of Dragnea’s regime and his declaration of war against the European Union, ” she told parliament.

In a speech frequently interrupted by opposition legislators shouting “Resignation! Resignation!, Ms Dancila, the prime minister, denounced the attempt to topple her government as “lacking rational arguments, logic and any realistic reasoning”.

PSD lawmakers have pushed a judicial overhaul through parliament that effectively puts magistrates under political control. It also changes the penal handbook that could affect thousands of criminal cases, risking a deeper rift between eastern and western EU members.

Both legal changes are on hold pending challenges filed to the constitutional court, but PSD deputies had said they expected to approve them by mid-July.

Arguments about how to fight corruption in one of Europe’s most graft-prone states have dominated Romanian politics since its 2007 EU entry and magistrates have often complained of political pressures.

Dragnea, who is also speaker of the lower house of parliament, was found guilty by the supreme court last week of keeping two women on the payroll of a state agency in 2006-2013 even though they were employed by his party.

Romania’s most powerful politician, he has repeatedly denied all the charges and is expected to appeal the verdict, which relates to when he was a county council chief. – Reuters</s>The Romanian government survived a no-confidence vote in parliament Tuesday, as expected.

Only 166 MPs voted against Social Democrat Prime Minister Viorica Dăncilă’s government, well short of the 233 needed to topple it. The government is propped up in the parliament by the Social Democrat Party’s (PSD) junior liberal partner ALDE.

The three opposition parties that initiated the vote — the liberals (PNL), anti-corruption newcomer USR, and the party of former President Traian Băsescu (PMP) — accused the government of wreaking the economy since they took over in early 2017.

They also attacked the ruling parties over controversial changes to the judiciary, which have attracted warnings from the European Commission and the Council of Europe’s anti-corruption body.

“Romania has come to be considered an unpredictable country, in which people who have problems with the law seem to make the law,” said Raluca Turcan, a PNL member.

The PSD’s leader Liviu Dragnea, who is the president of the parliament’s lower chamber and seen as the country’s de facto ruler, received a three-and-a-half year jail sentence earlier this month in a case involving fake jobs for party workers. He can still appeal the ruling.

Dăncilă defended her government’s record and accused the opposition of arrogance and of misrepresenting many of her government’s economic decisions. “For you, increasing Romanians’ wages is a populist measure that will bring chaos to the economy,” she said.

Romania’s former president Băsescu said some current ministers are too incompetent to lead EU ministers’ meetings next year when the country takes over the presidency of the Council for the first time since it joined the bloc. “Topple your own government, because you can do it, and replace it with one that we will not be ashamed with in the EU,” he said, hinting to the time last year when the PSD voted out its own government, led by Sorin Grindeanu, who had refused to resign.

Read this next: Poland softens controversial ‘Holocaust law’ after backlash</s>The opposition needs 50-70 more votes to pass the no-confidence motion against the Government, said former president Traian Basescu.

He assured he would vote the motion, together with his small PMP (Popular Movement Party), even if he was sure of its failure.

In fact, Basescu thinks that the opposition PNL (National Liberal Party) leader Ludovic Orban offered a political victory in the Parliament to the senior ruling party – PSD (Social Democrat Party), by filing the motion. The PSD will launch victory propaganda as of Wednesday evening, after the motion fails, which comes as a fresh breath for a party suffocated in its own misery, the former president said.

The opposition parties PNL, USR and PMP need 233 votes to pass the motion, which will be debated and voted on Wednesday, June 27. Even with backing from the Democratic Union of Hungarians in Romania (UDMR), the number of votes could go up to maximum 194-195, as the UDMR leader Kelemn Hunor declared. Nevertheless, the UDMR has not yet decided whether to back it or not, local Digi24 reported.

Pro- and anti-govt. rallies expected at Romanian Parliament during no-confidence motion vote

Romanian state bank ends contract with advertising agency that sends employees to anti-Govt. protest</s>National Liberal Party (PNL) MPs laid down in the plenary chamber of Parliament, during Prime Minister Viorica Dancila's speech, a huge banner with the message "We fight for Romania all the way", informs Agerpres.

At the beginning of Viorica Dancila's speech regarding the motion of no confidence, Opposition MPs laid down on the podium behind the stand several boxes that had the same message : "We fight for Romania", but also a diploma inscribed with: "The Hammer and Sickle award for Liviu Dragnea". The boxes were later on disposed of by the Chamber of Deputies staff.

The Prime Minister's speech was interrupted several times by the chanting of Opposition senators and deputies. They asked for the resignation of the Prime Minister.

"I had the decency to listen to the no-confidence motion, please have the same decency", Prime Minister Viorica Dancila replied.</s>Prime Minister Viorica Dancila stated on Wednesday, in the Parliament, that each Romanian must have the freedom to decide where to keep their pension money.</s>Romania’s Social Democrat-led government survived a no-confidence motion on Wednesday – but faced more turbulence outside parliament, where thousands of anti-corruption protesters gathered to demand Prime Minister Viorica Dancila’s resignation.

Tensions rose also in the legislature over new security regulations that banned opposition MPs from inviting their supporters and advisors into the building – while journalists’ access was restricted for the first time since the 1989 revolution to a limited press area.

The motion submitted by the opposition Liberals, and backed by the Save Romania Union and the nationalist Popular Movement Party, came 67 votes short of the 233 votes needed to bring down the government.

“You’re mystifying reality,” Dancila told the debate. “To you, a rise in income is a populist measure… there are many lies in this motion,” she added.

Her speech was interrupted several times by opposition MPs who chanted “Resignation! Resignation!” and put up a banner reading, “We fight until the end for Romania.”

The Liberals failed to win the support of the main ethnic Hungarian party in parliament, the Democratic Union of Hungarians in Romania, which holds 21 seats.

It did win the support of MPs gathered around former Social Democrat leader Victor Ponta, who left the ruling party to form his own political faction, but their votes were not enough.

Social Democrat MPs did not vote, as the party wanted to avoid the risk of any of its MPs supporting the no-confidence motion.

Over 70 Social Democrat supporters were allowed into the balconies of the chamber, as the law allows citizens to observe debates.

 Opposition MPs protesting during Prime Minister Viorica Dancila’s speech. Photo: Octav Ganea/Inquam Photos

But their presence angered opposition MPs, after the ruling coalition banned MPs from Save Romania Union – the third force in parliament – from bringing their own guests into the complex, including their advisors.

Among those who were denied access to the chamber was Save Romania Union’s communications advisor, Ioana Lupea.

Social Democrat leader Liviu Dragnea “is not allowing me to go inside the parliament. He gave the order that no USR guest can enter the building. The Social Democrats’ guests are allowed in, I just saw a group of women happily entering the building. So today I will work from the hallway. I have this before ’89 feeling. Really bad,” she wrote on Facebook.

The new regulations were adopted on Tuesday by the leadership of the two chambers, after Save Romania Union MPs allowed a group of anti-corruption protesters to enter parliament on June 20 and stage a sit-in against the ruling party’s plan to relax anti-graft legislation.

Journalists’ movement and access were also restricted to a press area, several reporters told BIRN. The move is unprecedented as journalists were formerly free to move around and interview MPs.

News website G4media.ro said a leading Social Democrat MP, Eugen Nicolicea, had told reporters that their access was restricted because their presence bothered the meetings.

“You have all the facilities you need on the ground floor. There is a press room, you have what you need there. But you’re sitting here, lying around like in a bus station,” he told the media.

Nicolicea also submitted a proposal on Wednesday to punish MPs who are deemed undisciplined with 20 to 30 day suspensions. The move was a response to the fact that Save Romania Union MPs have often staged protests during debates.

Meanwhile, about 5,000 protesters, many of them Save Romania Union supporters, rallied in Izvor Park, right next to parliament, to demand Dancila’s resignation.

Protesters organized on social media, and several companies announced they gave their employees the day off to join the protests.</s>In the plenum joint meeting of the Chamber of Deputies and the Senate, which will be held today starting at 14:00, will be debated and put up for vote the vote of no-confidence against the government submitted by 152 members of the opposition.

 The document which incriminates the failures of the Dăncilă government has been read in the Parliament on Monday, June 25th. 

 Called "The dismissal of the Dragnea-Dăncilă government, a national emergency!", the vote of no-confidence includes mentions to the rise of inflation, the rise of the ROBOR, the aberrant measures taken by the Executive concerning the definitive change of the fiscal legislation, the lack of investments in infrastructure, the assault on the judicial system, on the second pension pillar and the wage-raising policy.

 To have the motion pass and to bring down the government, the opposition needs 233 votes. So far, calculations show that it lacks over 60 votes.

 Over the last few days, the representatives of the PNL and USR have carried out intense negotiations with the leaders of the UDMR and Pro România.

 If the heads of the UDMR play hard to get, the opposition has received positive signals from the party led by Victor Ponta and Daniel Constantin. Of course, after the liberals have issued assurances that should the vote of no-confidence be successful, Ludovic Orban will not require his nomination as prime-minister.

 Nevertheless, if the opposition didn't get massive support from the UDMR and from national minorities represented in the Parliament, as well as from many PSD members unhappy with the direction the country is going, the vote of no-confidence has slim chances of passing. The minorities and the UDMR, if it were to vote en masse in favor of the motion, would only bring 47 votes to the opposition, which would not be enough to bring the government down.

 UDMR president Kelemen Hunor, yesterday said that only today, after the common session of the joint groups would the MPs of the Union make a decision when it comes to a potential support of the vote of no-confidence submitted by the PNL, USR and PMP.

 The UDMR president said: "Wednesday morning, at 9:00, we will have the joint session of the reunited groups. There, we will make a formal decision concerning the vote of no-confidence, but until then we are going to be talking to our colleagues. We will see what happens, but the decision will be made on Wednesday".

 The UDMR leader has also discussed the manner in which the government can be replaced, adding: "If there is a majority for a certain direction, we will comply with it. No motion that ever passed brought anything worse. 

 As long as a government has the majority, it stays on. When it doesn't, it leaves. I'm not the one ensuring the majority of the Government. At this time, it's the PSD and ALDE that ensure the majority of the Government (...) Since they have the majority, they no longer need our support".

 The UDMR leader yesterday met with the head of the PNL, Ludovic Orban. According to the calculations of the two, a maximum of 194-195 MPS would vote in favor of the vote of no-confidence.

 Kelemen Hunor concluded: "There are many more votes needed to get the needed number of 233. Currently, the opposition, perhaps with some of the minorities, has no chance of bringing down the Government. Without the PSD, without ALDE, without breaking the coalition apart, it can't be brought down, regardless of what anybody may say, because the numbers don't lie. The numbers are really simple and it's extremely easy to perform a simple calculation".

 * Fight in the Parliament spilling into the streets?

 In order to pressure both the MPs of the governing coalition, as well as those of the opposition, the supporters of the two sides have announced their presence today in front of the Parliament's Palace. Initially, the USR and the PNL called for their supporters to protest in front of the Parliament to determine the passing of the vote of no-confidence. But yesterday social-democrat senator Claudiu Manda said that PSD sympathizers will be standing at the entrance located near the Izvor park to support the Dăncilă government.

 Claudiu Manda said: "There are two alternatives, either we can compare their numbers, or things can reach a conflict. But what we are seeing happening today, including at the level of the Parliament, may make the protesters continue to want this kind of actions".

 According to some PSD sources quoted by g4media.ro, the county branches have received a directive asking them to each send 15 today to Bucharest. Those supporters would travel with their own vehicles and should not be public sector employees nor high profile leaders.

 Should the vote of no-confidence pass, the PNL seems willing to negotiate with anybody. According to the things stated two days ago by PNL president Ludovic Orban, the liberals are open to negotiate with "all the civilized, decent political forces, that want the good of Romania, in order to bring Romania back to its natural, Euro-Atlantic path, which honors the fundamental values and principles that underlie the functioning of the EU".

 Moreover, the head of the PNL is asking voters and sympathizers of the party to come as many as possible in front of the Parliament's building, on the occasion of the debate and voting of the motion.

 The USR has also launched a Facebook campaign urging people to take one day off from work, in order to participate in the protests of the entrance near the Izvor park.

 Also scheduled today in the Chamber of Deputies is the voting of the simple motion of no-confidence against Lucian Şova, the former minister of Transportation. PNL, USR and PMP MPs accuse Şova of mismanaging the Romanian infrastructure and failing to produce any projects to concerning the construction of highways, the rehabilitation and modernization of roads, bridges and railways.

 Yesterday, after the closing of this edition, the leaders of the opposition were planning to go to the Victoriei Square, to ask for the support of those who have been protesting for over 510 days against the PSD-ALDE coalition.
The cabinet of Romanian Prime Minister Viorica Dăncilă survives a motion of no confidence. During the vote, several thousand oppossition supporters protest outside Parliament, calling for the resignation of the government.