The Romanian President, Mr Emil Constantinescu, sacked the country's Prime Minister, Mr Radu Vasile, early today after most of the cabinet had resigned over the prime minister's performance, a presidential spokesman announced.
Mr Vasile was sacked because he refused to quit despite the fact that more than half his cabinet tendered their resignations yesterday in an attempt to force his ouster, said spokesman Mr Rasvan Popescu.
The decision was taken after a lengthy meeting between the President, the leaders of the ruling coalition and the ten ministers who resigned from the 17-member cabinet.
"The President of Romania has revoked the functions of Prime Minister Radu Vasile," the spokesman said.
The President named the former social protection minister, Mr Alexandru Athanasiu, as interim prime minister.
The move came after days of growing pressure on Mr Vasile from his own ruling Christian Democrat party and an attack by President Constantinescu.
The coalition said that Mr Vasile's ouster was aimed at "improving the quality of government action and giving a boost to the economic reforms and to the bid to join the European Union".
The prime minister has faced particular criticism over the pace of reforms as Romania seeks to join the European Union.
The President made the decision after stating that "it was impossible for the prime minister to carry out his duties due to the resignation of the majority of his government," adding that "all the coalition parties . . . had withdrawn their support" of Mr Vasile, the spokesman said.
Late yesterday the Christian Democrat Mr Vasile refused to step down, saying only a vote of no confidence from parliament could get rid of him.
"I refuse to tender my resignation ... even if other ministers offer to resign under pressure, I will not stand down," he said in a statement.
"Under the constitution, the prime minister can only be forced to go if parliament withdraws its confidence."