Romanian lawmakers endorse PM Orban in vote of confidence

Romania's centrist Prime Minister-designate Ludovic Orban easily won a parliamentary vote of confidence, as expected, on Saturday, with all political groupings seeking to end a political stalemate and focus on the coronavirus crisis. President Klaus Iohannis asked the quarantined interim premier to form a government on Friday. Cabinet ministers quarantined themselves, after coming into contact with a coronavirus-infected lawmaker.

"It's been 286 votes for the government out of 309 cast ballots and 23 MPs voted against it," a senior ruling party deputy told Reuters. Lawmakers toppled Orban's minority Liberal government at the beginning of February, but he has continued running the country on an interim basis with limited powers.