PM-designate Orban calls boycotting confidence vote sin to be punished by voters

Prime Minister-designate Ludovic Orban said on Tuesday that any party that would boycott Parliament's vote of confidence in the government "will be severely censured by the citizens of Romania."

"In my opinion, any political party that will boycott the plenary session will be severely censured by the citizens of Romania. To be a parliamentarian and play truant when Parliament casts a vote of confidence in the government, the main attribution of Parliament apart from the lawmaking attribution, in its relation with the government, it is to vote a government in office. Playing truant when there is a sitting where a government is voted into office is a sin that will be dramatically censured by all citizens. I wish the lawmakers will come at work," Orban said at the Parliament House asked if the Social Democratic Party (PSD) MPs told him that they will not come to the joint plenary session in which a vote of confidence in the Orban Government 2 will be called.

He added that PSD cannot vote for the new government after they ousted a Liberal government under a censure motion. "PSD would be ridiculous if they gave at least one vote for the National Liberal Party (PNL) government," said Orban.

The prime minister said that PNL MPs will be present at the confidence vote meeting to ensure the quorum, but they will not vote.

"We will endeavour to convince all political parties to participate in the confidence vote, but in the end each one will decide for themselves. All political parties and all lawmakers who will play truant will be filled with ridicule," said Orban.