The motion of censure submitted by USR-PLUS and AUR has been blocked for the time being in the Parliament’s Standing Bureaus. The National Liberal Party (PNL) requested a two-week postponement, being supported by UDMR, but there was no quorum at the vote, with only 9 MPs voting in favor. PSD withdrew from the meeting. Later, the Liberals also left, so the timetable for the motion could not be established.
“We do not want to arbitrate between the two camps,” said PSD member Lucian Romascanu.
The Liberals demanded a two-week deadline to verify the signatures, a request voted by the supporters of PM Florin Cîțu and UDMR. The group of national minorities abstained from voting. The PNL chairman Ludovic Orban did not participate in the vote either. Thus, out of the 18 parliamentarians in the hall, only 9 voted in favor, insufficient to validate the PNL request.
The PNL demanded a two-week deadline to verify the signatures, which was voted for by the liberal supporters of Florin Cîțu and UDMR. Minorities abstained.
“I will not take part in this vote. The institution of the motion of censure is a fundamental one. Things are very clear in the Constitution regarding the motion of censure. (…) Another extremely important point is that clearly the signature represents an individual act of will, the only person who can challenge it is the one who signed it. So far there has been no request from any signatory,” Orban said, accusing “censorship of the right to file a motion of censure.”
After Ludovic Orban announced the result of the vote, the PNL parliamentarians left the meeting in order not to ensure the necessary quorum for establishing the calendar of the motion.
A new meeting of the Permanent Bureaus should be convened to determine the timing of the motion.
USR PLUS spokesperson, deputy Ionuţ Moşteanu stated that it is for the first time in 31 years that the right to submit censure motion is denied. Moşteanu denounced a deal made by Citu’s Liberal camp with the Social Democrats to prevent them from filing the motion.
“The PSD and PNL lawmakers have boycotted this meeting. From now on the winning team has a new member: Marcel Ciolacu (editor note: PSD chairman) Mr. Citu seems to have recruited Ciolacu and his only mission is to protect Citu for the PM seat as long as possible,” the USR PLUS spokesperson.
USR PLUS said in a press statement that the joint standing bureau “has been boycotted for the third time” by the PSD members.
“Boycotting for the third time the meeting of the permanently reunited Bureau to establish the calendar of the censorship motion, Marcel Ciolacu confirmed that he has a double command and that he does not really want to dismiss Florin Cîţu. In brief: he put PSD to the trailer of Mr. Florin Cîţu. The procrastination and contradictions of the PSD, the agreements under the table of Marcel Ciolacu with Florin Cîţu show us, once again, that the own interests of PSD take precedence over the interest of Romanians. Romania needs a prime minister to govern responsibly. Florin Cîţu is not this prime minister”, USR PLUS representatives posted on Facebook.