Romanian government survives no-confidence vote

The final tally showed that 218 MPs voted for the opposition’s motion, 18 votes shy of the 236 needed for the motion to pass. Parliamentarians from the ruling coalition were not present for the vote.

While the motion was being debated in the Parliament, some 30,000 people protested in front of the building in the largest street protest in Romania this year.

Protesters were asking for the dismissal of the country’s government of Premier Emil Boc and expressed their discontent with salary and job cuts for state employees, as well as cuts in education and the pension.