Romania coalition at risk after junior party pulls support for PM

FILE PHOTO: Prime Minister-designate Florin Citu attends a news conference after being nominated to form a transitional government, in Bucharest, Romania, February 26, 2020. Inquam Photos/George Calin via REUTERS

BUCHAREST (Reuters) - Romania's centrist ruling coalition faced possible collapse on Thursday as a junior party withdrew support for the prime minister in a row over the sacking of its justice minister, threatening economic recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic.

The dismissal of Stelian Ion deepened rifts in the centrist coalition formed between Prime Minister Florin Citu's Liberals, the centrist USR-Plus and the ethnic Hungarian Party UDMR after the national election in December 2020.