Romania Heads for Minority Government After Top Party Quits.

The article focuses on the potential collapse of Romania's governing coalition after the Social Democrats, the largest party in parliament, decided to withdraw their ministers from Prime Minister Ilie Bolojan's cabinet, leaving him with a minority government. This political shift threatens Romania's efforts to reduce the European Union's widest budget deficit and to secure nearly €8 billion in EU recovery funds, which require meeting 50 conditions by August. The coalition's breakup stems from austerity measures that have diminished public support and increased the influence of the far-right Alliance for the Unity of Romanians (AUR). The prime minister faces a confidence vote within 45 days and the possibility of a no-confidence motion, with early elections considered unlikely but not impossible, as they could enable far-right gains. [Extracted from the article]