Romanian lawmakers oust PM Grindeanu in no-confidence vote

Record ID: 896431

  • Title: Romanian lawmakers oust PM Grindeanu in no-confidence vote
  • Date: 21st June 2017
  • Summary: BUCHAREST, ROMANIA (JUNE 21, 2017) (REUTERS) VARIOUS EXTERIOR OF ROMANIAN PARLIAMENT BUILDING PARLIAMENTARIANS VOTING ON DAILY SCHEDULE ROMANIAN COAT OF ARMS ROMANIAN PRIME MINISTER, SORIN GRINDEANU WALKING UP TO LECTERN CAMERAS (SOUNDBITE) (Romanian) ROMANIAN PRIME, MINISTER SORIN GRINDEANU, SAYING: "I don't understand why we are here, in parliament, today. And I also tell you that Romanians also do not understand this. I don't understand the reason for this scandal inside PSD [Social Democratic Party], not even six months after we won the elections with a smashing result, and also the government is doing very well." CAMERAMEN FILMING (SOUNDBITE) (Romanian) ROMANIAN PRIME MINISTER, SORIN GRINDEANU, SAYING: "You should be aware that every ballot you cast can lead to the PSD losing the government and it leaves Klaus Iohannis [President of Romania] to choose [a new PM] and to trigger political crises as big as we haven't experienced before." VARIOUS OF OPPOSITION PARLIAMENTARIANS HOLDING UP SIGNS READING (Romanian): 'SHAME, PSD' (SOUNDBITE) (Romanian) PSD PARTY LEADER, LIVIU DRAGNEA, SAYING: "I'm asking you to vote in this no-confidence vote which is hurting us all. It must pass in order for things to come back to normality, legality and in accordance with the constitution. Also our country should get a government more devoted to its mission. Thank you." CAMERAMAN FILMING VARIOUS OF PARLIAMENTARIANS VOTING (SOUNDBITE) (Romanian) PARLIAMENTARIAN, IOANA BRAN, SAYING: "As the result of the fact that from 464 parliamentarians we presented 397 and having in mind that 241 voted in favour of it [no-confidence], it's considered that the conditions adopted for the no-confidence vote have been fulfilled." CAMERAMAN FILMING
  • Embargoed: 5th July 2017 12:40
  • Keywords: government no confidence vote Grindeanu parliament coalition
  • Location: BUCHAREST, ROMANIA
  • City: BUCHAREST, ROMANIA
  • Country: Romania
  • Topics: Government/Politics,Elections/Voting
  • Reuters ID: LVA0016M8269Z
  • Aspect Ratio: 16:9
  • Story Text:Romania's ruling leftists overwhelmingly voted to oust Prime Minister Sorin Grindeanu's six-month-old government on Wednesday (June 21), opening the way for a new cabinet with a comfortable parliament majority over the next few weeks.
    Lawmakers voted 241-7 against Grindeanu in a no-confidence motion, a week after his ruling Social Democrat Party (PSD) and a coalition partner withdrew their support from him, accusing him of failing to roll out a range of programmes.
    Independent observers said the PSD is likely unhappy with Grindeanu's failure to relax anti-corruption rules earlier this year and wanted to oust him to ensure a different premier does more to protect party seniors facing graft charges.
    Romania is seen as one of the European Union's most corrupt states and Brussels has kept its justice system under special monitoring since it joined the bloc in 2007.
    The PSD and its junior coalition partner ALDE are expected to nominate a replacement for Grindeanu later in the week.
  • Copyright Holder: REUTERS
  • Copyright Notice: (c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2017. Open For Restrictions - http://about.reuters.com/fulllegal.asp
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