The Romanian government has collapsed after the Social Democrats, the junior partner in the ruling coalition, pulled out.
The decision by the Party of Social Democrats (PSD) to end its coalition with the Liberal Democrats (PD-L) which had been in place since December, was triggered by the sacking this week of PSD Interior Minister Dan Nica, a member of the PSD, by Prime Minister Emil Boc of the PD-L.
The PD-L can continue as a minority government for a few weeks.
The decision of the PSD to leave the government may influence the choice of Romania's candidate for the European Commission. The PSD had proposed Vasile Puscas, a former minister for EU affairs, but the break-up of the government may improve the chances of Dacian Ciolos, from the PD-L, who was agriculture minister.
Romania has presidential elections scheduled for November. Nica was sacked for raising the possibility of corruption in those elections, at which Traian Basescu, the current president, will be seeking re-election. Boc is regarded as a Basescu appointee.
