The Cîțu Cabinet was the 131st government of Romania, led by the national liberal (PNL) Prime Minister Florin Cîțu. It was removed from office after a motion of no confidence passed by the Parliament with a record of 281 votes, the largest number of votes on a motion of no confidence since the Romanian Revolution.
Formation of the government and negotiations
Procedure The prime minister candidate, who is designated by the president, has to request the investiture vote/vote of confidence from the legislature within 10 days from being appointed.
Consultations with the president
On 6 December 2020, elections for a new Romanian Parliament took place. On 10 December 2020, the incumbent President of Romania, Klaus Iohannis, invited all the parties that acceded into the newly elected Parliament, more specifically PSD, PNL, USR-PLUS, AUR, and UDMR/RMDSZ as well as the representatives of the national minorities for consultations at Cotroceni Palace on 14 December 2020.
Political negotiations
On 7 December 2020, the leader of the UDMR/RMDSZ senators of the 2016–2020 legislature of the Romanian Parliament, Attila Cseke stated that Hunor Kelemen, the current president of the party, had talked to Klaus Iohannis and that they were awaiting for the finalisation of the count of the election votes.
On 9 December 2020, EPP MEP from the PNL, Rareș Bogdan, was confident the government would be approved by 23 December, and that the cabinet would have between 16 and 18 ministries.
The National Liberal Party (PNL), USR-PLUS, and the Democratic Alliance of Hungarians in Romania (UDMR/RMDSZ) had met at Vila Lac 1 on 12 December 2020 to negotiate on making up the coalition government proposition and on several key aspects: the collaboration in the parliament, the government positions, and the governance programme. The UDMR were not prepared, nor willing to take any key function within the newly elected parliament.
On 12 December 2020, political negotiations had reached a stalemate, since the liberals wanted Ludovic Orban to preside over the Chamber of Deputies, while USR-PLUS wanted Dan Barna to become its president. On 15 December 2020, Dan Barna announced his desire for Cătălin Drulă to become the president of the Chamber of Deputies on behalf of USR PLUS, which angered Ludovic Orban.
Vote in the parliament After the president proposed Florin Cîțu to the position of Prime Minister on 22 December, the proposed government was subsequently also brought to the parliament for the voting procedure on 23 December. All minister propositions had passed the hearings in the parliamentary commissions on the same day. It was approved by the parliament, with 260 votes in favour and 183 votes against giving the Cîțu Cabinet confidence, more than the minimum 228 necessary votes.
Fall of the government
The government was threatened as of result of the passing of the "National Anghel Saligny Investment Plan" () (or PNDL 3) and of the ousting of Justice Minister Stelian Ion. On 3 September 2021, member of the coalition government, USR PLUS alongside opposition party AUR lodged a vote of no confidence against Florin Cîțu and his government entitled "The dismissal of the Cîțu Government, Romania's only chance to live!" (). All ministers originating from USR PLUS resigned from their positions on 7 September 2021.
On 4 October 2021, a day before the motion of no confidence, the Cîțu Cabinet had approved a multitude of government emergency ordinances (, O.U.G.) and government decisions (, H.G.).
The cabinet continued to function as a PNL-UDMR/RMDSZ minority government until 5 October 2021, when it was dissolved by a motion of no confidence entitled "Stop poverty, price increases and criminals! Down with the Cîțu Government!" () submitted by the Social Democratic Party (PSD), with 281 votes "for" adoption, and a lack of abstentions and "against" votes. Out of a total of 466 members of parliament, only 318 showed up. On the day of the motion, social democratic members of parliament brought a Superman hanging upside down, in a pool of blood - alluding to a social media post made by Florin Cîțu with the superhero. Deputy president of the PNL, Alina Gorghiu, reacted to the prop, saying it was a call to violence on Facebook. Until the next cabinet was voted in the Parliament, the Cîțu cabinet continued on as an acting/ad interim government. It is the sixth post-revolutionary government in the recent history of Romania to be ousted through a motion of no confidence.
Romanian President Klaus Iohannis reacted to the result of the vote by saying that the word "crisis" describes "present-day Romania" the best. Negotiations and talks with the president on forming the government to replace the Cîțu Cabinet are expected to start a week after the fall of the government led by Florin Cîțu.
Reuters journalist Radu Marinas considers that the most likely outcome for the next government is a restored PNL-USR-UDMR/RMDSZ coalition, having a Prime Minister other than Florin Cîțu, since an early election would be unlikely, due to it requiring the Parliament of Romania two prime minister proposals from the President of Romania in a time period of 60 days. Nonetheless, the PNL began negotiations with the major opposition Social Democratic Party (PSD) for a new coalition together with the UDMR, which were closed on 21 November 2021, with the next cabinet, the Ciucă Cabinet, being sworn in on 25 November.
Composition
Position Minister Party Date sworn in Left office Prime Minister() Florin Cîțu PNL 23 December 2020 25 November 2021 Deputy Prime Minister() Dan Barna USR 23 December 2020 7 September 2021 Hunor Kelemen UDMR/RMDSZ 23 December 2020 25 November 2021 Minister of Foreign Affairs() Bogdan Aurescu Independent 23 December 2020 25 November 2021 Minister of Internal Affairs() Lucian Bode PNL 23 December 2020 25 November 2021 Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development() Nechita-Adrian Oros PNL 23 December 2020 28 September 2021 Minister of National Defence() Nicolae Ciucă PNL 23 December 2020 25 November 2021 Minister of Research, Innovation and Digitalization() Ciprian Teleman PLUS 23 December 2020 7 September 2021 Barna Tánczos (acting) UDMR/RMDSZ 8 September 2021 25 November 2021 Minister of Culture() Bogdan Gheorghiu PNL 23 December 2020 25 November 2021 Minister for Development, Public Works and Administration() Attila Cseke UDMR/RMDSZ 23 December 2020 25 November 2021 Minister of Education() Sorin Cîmpeanu PNL 23 December 2020 25 November 2021 Minister of Energy() Virgil-Daniel Popescu PNL 23 December 2020 25 November 2021 Minister of Economy, Entrepreneurship and Tourism() Claudiu Năsui USR 23 December 2020 7 September 2021 Virgil Popescu (acting) PNL 8 September 2021 25 November 2021 Minister of Labour and Social Protection() Raluca Turcan PNL 23 December 2020 25 November 2021 Minister of Environment, Water and Forests() Barna Tánczos UDMR/RMDSZ 23 December 2020 25 November 2021 Minister for Transport and Infrastructure() Cătălin Drulă USR 23 December 2020 7 September 2021 Dan Vîlceanu (acting) PNL 8 September 2021 25 November 2021 Minister of Finance() Alexandru Nazare PNL 23 December 2020 8 July 2021 Florin Cîțu (acting) PNL 8 July 2021 18 August 2021 Dan Vîlceanu PNL 18 August 2021 25 November 2021 Minister of Justice() Stelian Ion USR 23 December 2020 1 September 2021 Lucian Bode (acting) PNL 1 September 2021 25 November 2021 Minister of Health() Vlad Voiculescu PLUS 23 December 2020 14 April 2021 Florin Cîțu (acting) PNL 14 April 2021 21 April 2021 Ioana Mihăilă PLUS 21 April 20217 September 2021 Attila Cseke (acting) UDMR/RMDSZ 8 September 2021 25 November 2021 Minister of Investments and European Projects() Cristian Ghinea USR 23 December 2020 7 September 2021 Florin Cîțu (acting) PNL 8 September 2021 25 November 2021 Minister for Youth and Sport() Eduard Novak UDMR/RMDSZ 23 December 2020 25 November 2021
Party breakdown
Party breakdown of cabinet ministers:
Formation
National Liberal Party Save Romania Union Democratic Alliance of Hungarians in Romania Freedom, Unity and Solidarity Party Independent
End term
National Liberal Party (PNL) Democratic Alliance of Hungarians in Romania (UDMR/RMDSZ) Independent
Notes
References