Romania’s centre-right government was toppled Friday by a no-confidence motion tabled by the left-leaning opposition, putting at risk crucial reforms expected by international lenders. A total of 235 lawmakers voted for the motion, four more than the 231 needed, Gregorian Pop, the parliament’s speaker, announced. It is now up to President Traian Basescu to designate a new prime minister, just six months ahead of general elections due in November. The opposition Social-Liberal Union (USL) “is ready to assume responsibility to form a new government”, one of its two presidents, Victor Ponta, told reporters after the vote. “If Basescu designates me as prime minister, I will accept,” he added. The fall of Ungureanu’s government, less than three months after it came to power, coincides with a mission by the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the European Union to assess reforms enacted over the past months. Romania was forced to call on the IMF and the EU for a 20-billion-euro ($26-billion) lifeline in 2009 and took drastic measures in return to curb spending, cutting public sector wages by 25 percent and freezing pensions in 2010. It also agreed to privatise national assets, including Romania’s biggest copper mining company Cupru Min, as well as sell minority stakes in several energy firms.
