Macron backs Armenia’s pro-Europe PM as re-election campaign draws to close
Romania’s Dan left the EU-Armenia summit in Yerevan early to attend to the political crisis unfolding back home.
But the Yerevan summit – and a linked state visit by France’s Emmanuel Macron – is also a big political story in itself, with Europe siding with the Armenian pro-European leadership in another high-stakes battle against Russia’s influences in this part of Europe ahead of next month’s parliamentary election.
Our diplomatic editor Patrick Wintour, who is in Yerevan, has more:
“Emmanuel Macron has made an unabashed pre-election pitch on behalf of Armenia’s prime minister, Nikol Pashinyan, saying the country’s destiny lay with Europe.
The French president also accused Russia of abandoning Armenia after the 2020 Nagorno-Karabakh war that led to Azerbaijan displacing tens of thousands of Armenians.
Pashinyan, who – unlike the leaders of neighbouring Georgia – is increasingly open about his determination to side with Europe, faces a tough challenge to be re-elected next month. Three more pro-Russia or nationalist parties are trying to end his eight-year rule and accuse him of making too many concessions to Azerbaijan in an effort to win peace.
France has one of the largest Armenian expatriate communities in Europe, and Macron has long championed a European path for Yerevan.
It was with his encouragement that more than 40 European leaders gathered in Yerevan on Monday under the banner of the European Political Community, a body that brings together EU and non-EU countries. At the first summit between Armenia and EU on Tuesday morning, the bloc offered visa and trade liberalisation.”
Romania's president set to issue statement on next steps later today
in Bucharest
President Dan is set to issue a statement at 6pm local time (4pm UK).
Sorin Grindeanu, leader of the Social Democrats, said he is keeping “all options open” and that his party wants to preserve the coalition, but under a new prime minister, ruling out a technocrat head of government.
Liberal Party vice-president Cătălin Predoiu said his party should remain in government and would not rule out a coalition with the Social Democrats.
Updated
What's next for Romania after collapse of Bolojan's government? - analysis
in Bucharest
Romania is now entering a potentially lengthy period of political negotiations after the no-confidence motion.
The process of forming a new government involves presidential consultations, the president nominating a prime minister and a parliamentary confidence vote. It could take weeks, or even longer if no stable majority can be assembled. The current government will fulfil caretaker responsibilities until those decisions are made.
President Nicuşor Dan, who returned from the European Political Community summit in Yerevan, will begin consultations with parties to appoint a new prime minister.
The path to a stable majority is far from clear. The Social Democrats, the far-right AUR, non-affiliated MPs and other smaller parties have not signalled any willingness to come together and form a coherent government, even though they voted for the motion together.
President Dan has been categorical that the far-right AUR will play no role in any future government and gave firm assurances that Romania will maintain its pro-western direction.
The most plausible scenario is a rebuilt coalition involving the same pro-European parties – the Liberals (PNL), Save Romania Union (USR) and the Hungarian minority party UDMR – either under a new Liberal prime minister or a technocrat figure nominated by Dan to hold the coalition together.
This significantly narrows the coalition arithmetic, as AUR, which partnered with the Social Democrats to bring down the government, currently leads in opinion polls with around 37% support.
The political turmoil is already being felt in financial markets. Since the crisis erupted the Romanian leu has depreciated against the euro, which reached a historical high of 5.21 lei.
Romania must complete critical EU-mandated reforms by August to unlock around €11.4bn in recovery funds, many of which were overseen by the very ministries the Social Democrats have now abandoned.
Ilie Bolojan also departs as a polarising prime minister. He succeeded in reducing the country’s budget deficit from 9.3% to 7.9%. It was a significant achievement for a country that holds the largest fiscal gap in the European Union, but the medicine proved deeply unpopular.
His reform programme leaned heavily on cuts to education, culture and social spending, while also raising VAT, measures that disproportionately affected ordinary Romanians already squeezed by high inflation.
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No obvious path for new government in Romania leaves country at risk of weeks of political limbo - snap analysis
In his speech before the vote, Bolojan warned lawmakers against passing the “cynical and artificial” motion, which he said “seems to be written by people who were not in government every day and did not participate in all the decisions,” AP reported.
“Can anyone say how Romania will function from tomorrow, do you have a plan?” Bolojan asked.
Well, he clearly didn’t convince them.
But the question of what’s next is not an easy one as there is no obvious way to form a different majority or government. The unlikely allies in bringing down the Bolojan government – the socialist PSD and the far-right, including George Simion’s AUR party – are reportedly not particularly keen on forming a new administration together.
One scenario reportedly floated by the rebel Socialists was to reshuffle the current coalition with a new prime minister, but it’s not clear if other parties would be prepared to endorse this suggestion.
Bolojan is expected to stay on as interim prime minister with limited powers, as the country’s president Nicușor Dan will convene talks to figure out what next.
But the talks are likely to take weeks to get anywhere.
Updated
Romanian government loses confidence of parliament
And here it is: 281 votes in favour of the motion, meaning Ilie Bolojan’s pro-EU coalition government lost the confidence of the parliament.
The result was welcomed with loud applause from those present.
The Romanian media are reporting that the defeated PM Bolojan has already left the parliament’s building.
Updated
Result of no confidence in Romania's PM expected imminently
Over in Romania, we are expecting a result of the no confidence vote in Ilie Bolojan’s government any moment now.
Bolojan has led a minority government since late April when the leftist Social Democrats – parliament’s largest party – called for his resignation and then walked out of the coalition of four pro-European parties and teamed up with the far-right opposition to file a no-confidence vote, Reuters noted.
The no-confidence motion was signed by 254 MPs, and 233 votes are required, so the government is expected to lose the vote, triggering a scramble to find a new majority and a new prime minister.
I will bring you the result as soon as we have it.
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US Rubio to have 'frank conversation' with Pope Leo after public clash with Trump on Iran war
US secretary of state Marco Rubio expects a “frank” meeting with Pope Leo during a visit to the Vatican this week, the US ambassador said, after president Donald Trump took a fresh pot-shot at the pope for criticising the US war in Iran.
“Nations have disagreements, and I think one of the ways that you work through those is ... through fraternity and authentic dialogue,” said Brian Burch, the US ambassador to the Holy See, in comments reported by Reuters.
“I think the secretary is coming here in that spirit,” Burch told journalists. “To have a frank conversation about US policy, to engage in dialogue.”
Reuters noted that Trump has repeatedly disparaged the first U.S.-born pope in recent weeks, drawing a backlash from Christian leaders across the political spectrum.
Rubio is a Catholic, as is Vice President JD Vance. The two met Leo a year ago after attending his inaugural mass, the Trump administration’s only previous known cabinet-level meetings with the pope, the agency said.
Russia limits mobile internet amid fears of Ukraine strikes on Victory Parade
Meanwhile, over in Russia, mobile internet services have been cut off to many customers in Moscow as part of the preparations for 9 May Victory Parade given concerns about a potential attack from Ukraine.
The Kremlin said the limits had been introduced to ensure security amid a heightened risk of Ukrainian drone attacks, but for many Russians they have complicated payments, navigation and communication, Reuters reported.
Russian mobile phone operators said there could be problems with mobile internet due to the need to ensure security over coming days. Sberbank, Russia’s biggest bank, also cautioned that there could be issues with mobile internet and messaging, the agency added.
The restriction is the latest sign of Moscow’s concerns about a potential attack from Ukraine, after last week’s decision to host the parade without military hardware for the first time in almost two decades.
UK's Starmer lauds benefit of joining EU's €90bn loan for Ukraine as 'some' alliances 'are not in place we would want them'
Another big topic of the Yerevan summits – which continue today after an earlier meeting of the European Political Community over the bank holiday weekend – is the UK’s willingness to join the EU’s €90bn loan for Ukraine.
Prime minister Keir Starmer has said the benefit of joining the European Union’s scheme for Ukraine “outweighs the cost” as he argued the continent must move at pace to bolster its own defence.
The prime minister, who said the UK’s involvement in the recovery loan plan would also help create jobs at home, acknowledged that tensions were high between Donald Trump and Europe, particularly over military issues.
As the Nato military alliance comes under intense pressure from Trump’s threats amid a difference in stances on the war in Iran, Starmer said: “We cannot deny that some of the alliances that we have come to rely on are not in the place we would want them to be.”
He continued:
“There is more tension in the alliances than there should be and it’s very important that we therefore face up to this as a group of countries together.”
EU 'prepared for every scenario' after Trump's car tariff threats
Meanwhile, the European Commission president, Ursula von der Leyen, responded to US president Donald Trump’s latest threats on car tariffs.
Blindsiding Brussels late on Friday, a public holiday in much of Europe, Trump announced that he would be increasing tariffs on cars and lorries imported into the US from the EU from 15% to 25% from next week.
Speaking from Yerevan, where the EU-Armenia summit is taking place, von der Leyen said:
“A deal is a deal, and we have a deal, and the essence of this deal is prosperity, common rules and reliability. Now we are both implementing this deal while respecting the different democratic procedures we have on both sides.
On the European Union side, we are now in the final stages of implementing the remaining tariff commitments. At the same time, the US has the commitment, for example, where alignment with the agreed ceiling is still outstanding.
So we want from this work mutual gain, cooperation and reliability, and we are prepared for every scenario.”
Morning opening: Zelenskyy condemns 'utter cynicism' of Russian attacks amid truce talks
Ukraine’s president Volodymyr Zelenskyy has criticised Russia’s “utter cynicism” of launching more attacks on Ukraine while also calling for a short ceasefire enabling it to stage its 9 May Victory Parade in Moscow.
In a post on X condemning the latest series of attacks, he said:
“It is utter cynicism to ask for a ceasefire in order to hold propaganda celebrations while carrying out such missile and drone strikes every single day leading up to it. Russia could cease fire at any moment, and this would stop the war and our responses. Peace is needed, and real steps are needed to achieve it. Ukraine will act in kind.”
The overnight attacks were primarily aimed at Ukraine’s energy infrastructure, but killed four people and injured more, Zelenskyy said.
Earlier, Zelensky said that holding a ceasefire between 8 and 9 May so Moscow could hold the Victory Parade despite fears of a Ukrainian attack was “not serious”, and suggested an earlier truce starting already midnight (9pm GMT) on Tuesday.
“It is time for Russian leaders to take real steps to end their war, especially since Russia’s defence ministry believes it cannot hold a parade in Moscow without Ukraine’s goodwill.”
There is nothing to suggest that Russia will abide by the proposed ceasefire.
Elsewhere, I will keep an eye on the EU leaders’ meeting in Yerevan, Armenia after the latest round of Donald Trump’s threats against European partners, and on a vote of no confidence in Romania’s prime minister Ilie Bolojan, which could see his government collapse this afternoon.
It’s Tuesday, 5 May 2026, it’s Jakub Krupa here, and this is Europe Live.
Good morning.
