Cîțu Cabinet

After the president proposed Florin Cîțu to the position of Prime Minister on 22 December,[13][14] the proposed government was subsequently also brought to the parliament for the voting procedure on 23 December. All minister propositions had passed the hearings in the parliamentary commissions on the same day.[15] It was approved by the parliament, with 260 votes in favour and 183 votes against giving the Cîțu Cabinet confidence, more than the minimum 228 necessary votes.[16]

The government was threatened as of result of the passing of the "National Anghel Saligny Investment Plan" (Romanian: Planul Național de Investiții Anghel Saligny) (or PNDL 3) and of the ousting of Justice Minister Stelian Ion.[17][18] On 3 September 2021, member of the coalition government, USR PLUS alongside opposition party AUR lodged a vote of no confidence against Florin Cîțu and his government entitled "The dismissal of the Cîțu Government, Romania's only chance to live!" (Romanian: Demiterea Guvernului Cîțu, singura șansă a României de a trăi!).[19] All ministers originating from USR PLUS resigned from their positions on 7 September 2021.[20]

On 4 October 2021, a day before the motion of no confidence, the Cîțu Cabinet had approved a multitude of government emergency ordinances (Romanian: Ordonanțe de urgență ale Guvernului, O.U.G.) and government decisions (Romanian: Hotărâri de Guvern, H.G.).[21]

The cabinet continued to function as a PNL-UDMR/RMDSZ minority government until 5 October 2021, when it was dissolved by a motion of no confidence entitled "Stop poverty, price increases and criminals! Down with the Cîțu Government!" (Romanian: Stop sărăciei, scumpirilor și penalilor! Jos Guvernul Cîțu!)[22] submitted by the Social Democratic Party (PSD),[23] with 281 votes "for" adoption, and a lack of abstentions and "against" votes. Out of a total of 466 members of parliament, only 318 showed up.[24] On the day of the motion, social democratic members of parliament brought a Superman hanging upside down, in a pool of blood - alluding to a social media post made by Florin Cîțu with the superhero. Deputy president of the PNL, Alina Gorghiu, reacted to the prop, saying it was a call to violence on Facebook.[25] Until the next cabinet was voted in the Parliament, the Cîțu cabinet continued on as an acting/ad interim government. It is the sixth post-revolutionary government in the recent history of Romania to be ousted through a motion of no confidence.[26]

Romanian President Klaus Iohannis reacted to the result of the vote by saying that the word "crisis" describes "present-day Romania" the best. Negotiations and talks with the president on forming the government to replace the Cîțu Cabinet are expected to start a week after the fall of the government led by Florin Cîțu.[27][28]

Reuters journalist Radu Marinas considers that the most likely outcome for the next government is a restored PNL-USR-UDMR/RMDSZ coalition, having a Prime Minister other than Florin Cîțu, since an early election would be unlikely, due to it requiring the Parliament of Romania two prime minister proposals from the President of Romania in a time period of 60 days.[29][note 2] Nonetheless, the PNL began negotiations with the major opposition Social Democratic Party (PSD) for a new coalition together with the UDMR, which were closed on 21 November 2021, with the next cabinet, the Ciucă Cabinet, being sworn in on 25 November.[31]