PSD-ALDE ruling coalition loses majority in the Chamber of Deputies

The ruling coalition has lost the majority in the Chamber of Deputies, by one MP. Only one vote keeps the PSD-ALDE ruling coalition from having the majority needed to promote the laws debated by the lower chamber, digi24.ro reports.

The change comes as this week 5 social-democrats have left the party to join the ‘Pro Romania’ party of former Prime Minister Victor Ponta.

The lower chamber has 329 deputies. In order to be adopted, the laws need half plus one votes. Thus, 165 votes are needed in order to have a draft bill approved, whereas the ruling coalition made up by PSD and ALDE have 164 deputies.

The ruling coalition had a comfortable majority until recently. After the 2016 general elections, the two parties had no less than 174 deputies, i.e. by 9 more than the needed majority.

The balance changed following former PM Victor Ponta’s decision to leave PSD and as he convinced several colleagues to join his party, not many, however enough to shatter the ruling coalition’s majority in the Chamber of Deputies.

The new context in Parliament shows that problems might surface on votes for organic laws and decisions of the chamber’s regulations, which need a majority of half plus one.

In order to have the necessary majority, PSD and ALDE will have to find support from UDMR (Hungarian minority’s party – our note) and from the national minorities. Usually, these deputies support the ruling power, nevertheless, from time to time, negotiations prove tough in order to get their support, the same source informs.

The latest to leave PSD was Nicolae Banicioiu, who announced on Friday he resigns from the party. The former Health Minister has confirmed for Antena 3 TV he will join ‘Pro Romania’ party, led by former PM Victor Ponta and by Daniel Constantin.

According to antena3.ro, Banicioiu said he wants to join his former colleagues during the Ponta cabinet and he is very upset about what is going on within the Social-Democratic Party.

“Now PSD is laughed about. I’ve talked to many party members. This is not the party we’ve joined and we’ve grown with. We had other expectations from PSD,” Banicioiu said.

PSD Chairman, Liviu Dragnea, said on Wednesday that two of the former PSD PMs have rat attitude, referring to the recent exits from the party of several MPs.

“They won’t succeed (taking people from PSD – our note), it’s a rat attitude of two former party prime ministers. As any rat, they eat a little bit, after all, the house would not fall down due to one or two rats. The majority is stable, they won’t have enough votes for a non-confidence vote. They are eager to sacrifice anything so that some laws fail to be approved,” Liviu Dragea told Antena 3 TV on Wednesday.