BUCHAREST — Romanian lawmakers passed a no-confidence motion against Prime Minister Ilie Bolojan on April 28–29, 2026, toppling the pro-European coalition government that had been sworn in June 2025. After the parliamentary debate, 281 lawmakers voted in favor of the motion and four voted against it.

Lawmakers from the National Liberal Party, the Save Romania Union party, and the UDMR did not cast votes. On April 28, the Social Democratic Party and the Alliance for the Unity of Romanians submitted the motion to Parliament, after the Social Democratic Party withdrew from the coalition in late April 2026.

The Social Democratic Party had clashed with Bolojan over austerity measures including tax hikes, public sector wage and pension freezes, and cuts to public spending and public administration jobs. When the coalition was sworn in in June 2025, it pledged to make reducing the budget deficit a top priority. Romania has one of the highest budget deficits in the European Union, is experiencing high inflation, and is in a technical recession. The country has faced a long period of political instability after a presidential election was annulled in December 2024.

Bolojan rejected the rationale for the motion. "The motion is cynical and artificial," he said. "It seems to be written by people who were not in government every day and did not participate in all the decisions."

Defending his record, Bolojan said: "I assumed the position of prime minister, being aware that it comes with enormous pressure and that I would not receive applause from the citizens. But I chose to do what was urgent and necessary for our country." He added: "He took tough but necessary fiscal measures that effectively regained the trust of the markets in the Romanian government."

Sorin Grindeanu, president of the Social Democratic Party, said Bolojan should appoint an interim prime minister given the margin of support and that he expects President Nicusor Dan to consult the Social Democratic Party. "PSD is willing to quickly find a solution. All options are open," Grindeanu said.

George Simion, leader of the Alliance for the Unity of Romanians, said voters "had received taxes, war and poverty" and argued that "Romania must go back to the vote of the Romanians." Under the power-sharing agreement, the prime ministerial position was set to rotate in 2027 from Bolojan to a PSD premier. If Bolojan is replaced, the Social Democratic Party would be needed to form a pro-European parliamentary majority, though it has previously ruled out entering a government with the Alliance for the Unity of Romanians. A general election is scheduled for 2028.