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bne February 2019 Southeast Europe I 59
Romanian government survives no-confidence vote
Carmen Simion in Bucharest
The Romanian government survived a no-confidence vote in parlia- ment on December 20, as expected.
The no-confidence motion was backed by only 161 MPs while three others voted against it. The motion needed 233 votes in favour to pass.
The MPs from the ruling coalition made up of the Social Democratic Party (PSD) and the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats (Alde), as well as MPs from
Surprisingly, the motion was voted by
a lower number of MPs than those who had signed it. The document submitted in parliament was backed by a total of 163 MPs from the opposition National Liberal Party (PNL), the Save Romania Union (USR) and the Popular Movement Party (PMP), as well as unaffiliated MPs close to former prime minister Victor Ponta.
During the debate prior to the vote, Prime Minister Viorica Dancila stressed
The head of the UDMR, Kelemen Hunor, said the MPs from his party, although unhappy with the government, had decided not to cast their votes because there are not enough MPs to change
the government and because the oppo- sition has not offered an alternative,
a possible prime minister or a governing programme, news.ro reported.
Hunor also said he disapproves of the fiscal changes announced by the ruling coalition which “blow into the air the bourse, the economy and above all hope.”
“Mrs PM maybe you could convince the finance minister that this country is not a laboratory where all crazy ideas are experimented,” the UDMR leader said.
During the debate, the USR leader, Dan Barna, claimed that every hour Dancila and PSD leader Liviu Dragnea spend at the leadership of Romania represents “a threat for our future as a nation.”
“Prime Minister Viorica Dancila stressed she is not going to resign because she is sure
“Romania is following the good path”
the Democratic Alliance of Hungarians in Romania (UDMR), that usually sup- ports the government, did not cast their votes, according to digi24.ro.
she is not going to resign because she
is sure “Romania is following the good path,” and that Romanians appreciate the measures taken by the ruling coalition.
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Investors split over Romanian Black Sea projects in “illiberal” climate
bne IntelliNews
International oil and gas companies are divided over whether to push ahead with plans to develop offshore fields in the Romanian segment of the Black Sea after the government passed tighter regulations at the end of last year.
Rules approved in Bucharest include the manda- tory sale of 50% of the output on the local market
Poland’s new “Spring” party hopes to end two-party stalemate
Wojciech Kosc in Warsaw
Robert Biedron, the openly gay Polish politician that rose to nationwide prominence by sensa- tionally becoming mayor of the seaside town of Slupsk a few years ago, has decided to challenge the political status quo in Poland by forming
a new liberal-left party Wiosna (Spring).
Biedron held the inaugural convention of the new
at a regulated price. Moreover, the so-called “tax on greed” sets a cap on the price gas companies charge households, and a 3% turnover tax for energy and telecoms companies.
Austrian group OMV and Romania’s largest oil and
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party in Warsaw on February 3 to the immense interest of all media. The main message Biedron delivered to a crowd of an estimated 6,000 in Warsaw’s Torwar sports hall and – possibly – hundreds of thousands in front of TV screens and on social media was his intention to break Po-
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