Political crisis in Romania: the far right tries to gain the upper hand

Romania is sinking into a major political crisis, against the backdrop of an unexpected shift in parliamentary balances. The Social Democratic Party (PSD), the main party in Parliament, announced on Monday, April 27, that it would be joining forces with the Alliance for the Unity of Romanians (AUR), an extreme right-wing group. The goal is to bring down the pro-European coalition that it left four days earlier. A motion of censure is expected to be filed in the coming days against the current government led by liberal Ilie Bolojan (PNL).

For the far right, the current crisis presents an unexpected political opportunity. After a controversial cancellation of the presidential election by the Constitutional Court in 2024, amid suspicions of foreign interference, Romania had already been plunged into a strong instability. Defeated in the runoff election held in May 2025, George Simion, a leading figure of Romanian nationalism and close to Maga ideas, now believes that the balance of power can shift. As the centrist coalition falls apart, the AUR leader positions himself as a credible contender for power.

The motion of censure has a real chance of success, but nothing is certain. To overthrow the government, 232 votes out of 463 deputies and senators are required. The PSD and the AUR together have 219 votes. The announced support from the far-right PACE group adds 12 votes, bringing the total to 231, just one vote shy of the necessary threshold. The outcome would depend on a few more additional alliances: some elected officials from other far-right parties and some of the 17 deputies representing national minorities could tip the scale, according to Le Monde.

Context: Romania is facing a political crisis with the Social Democratic Party forming an alliance with an extreme right-wing group to bring down the current pro-European coalition government.

Fact Check: The situation is uncertain as the success of the motion of censure to overthrow the government depends on gathering more votes from various factions.

George Simion has stated that his party is ready to enter the government, despite rejecting any alliance with the PSD in previous electoral campaigns. With around 35% of the vote intentions, according to a survey published on April 24 and reported by Politico, his nationalist party dominates the polls, far ahead of the social democrats at 20%. George Simion also evokes the “Greater Romania,” a reference to the period after 1918, which is now a symbol mainly embraced by nationalist currents.

The European Union is watching the situation in Romania closely. The worsening of the crisis could prevent Bucharest from timely validating defense contracts, a necessary condition to benefit from the €16.68 billion in loans from the EU’s SAFE program, with a deadline set in May. It also threatens the country’s access to the remaining €10 billion of the post-Covid recovery plan, to be used by the end of August. This economic fragility is intertwined with the current crisis, aggravated by budget tensions that led to the collapse of the ruling coalition, aiming to reduce a public deficit exceeding 9% of the GDP in 2024, the highest in the EU.

On the other hand, the Romanian President, Nicusor Dan, has ruled out the idea of appointing a Prime Minister from the AUR. However, he himself is weakened: he has lost some of his support since following the PSD’s demands for the appointment of the heads of the General Prosecutor’s Office and the National Anticorruption Directorate (DNA), despite opposition from NGOs and the Superior Council of Magistracy. One thing is certain: the rupture within the government coalition, in addition to jeopardizing the country’s EU financing, opens a door for the Romanian far-right party.