Romania’s Ciolacu comes back following TikTok turmoil

Romanian Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu secured a parliamentary vote of confidence on Monday, cementing a new coalition government amid the country’s worst political crisis in decades. Lawmakers voted 240-143 to back Ciolacu, who served as Prime Minister since June 2023. He will govern with a pro-EU alliance of Social Democrats, Liberals, ethnic Hungarians, and minority groups.

The vote puts a pause – for now – on the political drama that ensued following the first round of presidential elections December 1. Five days later, Romania’s constitutional courtannulled the vote on evidence that Russia manipulated TikTok to boost the candidacy of little-known far-right candidate Calin Georgescu.

While Ciolacu’s Social Democratic party topped the parliamentary vote in that election, he came in third in the presidential vote and was eliminated as a presidential candidate andstepped down as leader. The tainted presidential contest must now be rerun, likely in the spring. Ciolacu’s new coalition will field ajoint candidate, retired liberal politician Crin Antonescu.

What’s on Ciolacu’s agenda? Romania’s new government faces severe fiscal challenges. The national budget deficit is projected totop 8.5% of GDP, threatening a credit downgrade to junk status. Ciolacu has pledged to stabilize the economy and rebuild investor confidence, but austerity measures could fuel support for extremists ahead of next year’s vote.

We’re also watching for more allegations of Russian interference, and whether the court’s annulment changes the rest of the presidential election in the spring.