New Romanian government formed Conservative Hungarian party joins socialist-led government.

Romania’s Social Democrat prime minister, Victor Ponta, on Tuesday (4 March) secured the continuation of left-of-centre rule in Romania by bringing an ethnic-Hungarian party into his government.

The new four-party coalition secured a clear victory in a vote of confidence that came exactly two weeks after Ponta’s former principal partner, the liberal PNL, led by Crin Antonescu, withdrew from the government.

The PNL’s departure was precipitated by Ponta’s decision to veto a PNL nominee for the posts of interior minister and deputy prime minister. It also coincided with a jockeying for position between the two parties ahead of the European Parliament elections in May and presidential elections in November.

The PNL won 51 seats in elections in 2012, compared with just nine for Ponta’s new partner, the Hungarian Democratic Union of Romania (UDMR).

However, the coalition had a commanding majority that left Ponta needing to persuade only eight deputies to support, or join, the government. The UDMR secured two portfolios in return, for the environment and culture.

For Ponta, the new alliance with the centre-right UDMR reduces the chances of a centre-right and liberal coalition emerging to challenge him. The association with the UDMR could also persuade ethnic Hungarians to support the Social Democrats’ candidate in the presidential election.

Ponta has yet to decide whether he will stand to succeed Traian Băsescu, a conservative who has served two terms.

The final days of negotiations among the coalition parties were dominated by clashes with Băsescu.

A three-party left-of-centre alliance formed by Ponta for the European elections – the Social Democratic Union – has a commanding lead in most polls.