Romania's pro-European coalition government has collapsed, after MPs voted against Prime Minister Ilie Bolojan, plunging the country into further political turmoil.
The no-confidence vote was a blow to Mr Bolojan, who started his term less than a year ago with the aim of ending one of Romania's biggest crises in its post-communist history.
The leftist Social Democratic Party, or PSD, and the hard-right Alliance for the Unity of Romanians party jointly submitted the motion to Parliament on 28 April. PSD left the governing coalition last month.
On Tuesday, 281 MPs voted in favour of the motion, with four voting against.
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MPs from Mr Bolojan's centre-right National Liberal Party abstained, along with their coalition partners from the Save Romania Union party and the ethnic-Hungarian UDMR party.
Romania has faced political instability since the annulment of a presidential election in December 2024.
The nation has also struggled with one of the highest budget deficits in the EU, as well as surging inflation and a technical recession.
Taking power in June, the coalition pledged to lower the budget deficit, noting it was a top priority.
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PSD had often clashed with Mr Bolojan over austerity measures, including tax hikes, public-sector wage and pension freezes, and cuts to state spending and public administration jobs.
Last week, the party accused Mr Bolojan of "failing to implement any genuine reform" in his 10 months as prime minister, and said the country needs a leader who is "capable of collaboration".
Mr Bolojan argued his fiscal measures were tough but essential and effectively "regained the trust of the markets in the Romanian government".
He described the no-confidence motion as "cynical and artificial" and argued prior to the vote that it "seems to be written by people who were not in government every day and did not participate in all the decisions".
Sorin Grindeanu, president of PSD, said Mr Bolojan should appoint an interim prime minister until one is voted in by MPs.
Mr Grindeanu also said he expected his party to be consulted by Romanian President, Nicusor Dan.
"I would like us to quickly find a solution... together with the other parties and move forward," he said. "All options are open."
On social media, the secretary-general of Mr Bolojan's party, Dan Motreanu, said the opposition "have a duty to take over the government, to come up with a prime minister candidate and a clear program".
"You cannot overthrow a government and then run away from accountability," he added.
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