The PNL leadership election caused the debate on the motion of no confidence to be postponed until after the congress, following a complaint to the Constitutional Court of Romania submitted by Cîțu.

Subsequently, the major opposition Social Democratic Party (PSD), the largest political force in the Parliament, submitted a second motion of no confidence, which was read on 30 September 2021 and by which the Cîțu Cabinet was dissolved on 5 October 2021.

Subsequently, President Klaus Iohannis designated Dacian Cioloș of USR as prime minister, followed by Nicolae Ciucă of PNL, however the proposal for the former was rejected by the Parliament and the latter stepped back.

[25] A multi-party coalition (PNL–USR–PLUS–UDMR/RMDSZ) was formed to govern Romania after the 2020 legislative elections, with Dan Barna (USR) and Hunor Kelemen (UDMR) becoming Deputy Prime Ministers.

We refuse to be part of replicating this practice of discretionary fund allotments to the party client bases and of bad investments that led to nowhere in the real development of the rural areas".

[48][49] On 4 September, President Klaus Iohannis called USR PLUS' alleged anti-governmental alliance with AUR an "affront" brought to the Romanians who at the 2020 Romanian legislative elections decided the direction Romania should go, and asked USR PLUS on his behalf "to weigh very well the implications of the association with the objectives promoted by AUR and to return to the table of dialogue with the rest of the governing coalition to find a solution for unblocking the governmental situation".

[62] Ciolacu justified the PSD's move around the fact his party respects the Constitution and the laws of the country and that it is normal to wait until the court pronounces on Prime Minister Cîțu's complaint on the matter.

[66] Prime Minister Cîțu stated it will ask for the firing of Orban and Dragu as presidents of the chamber of deputies and of the Senate respectively if his government will be given justice.

[70] As of result, Florin Roman stated he will file a penal complaint, accusing the alleged USR PLUS–AUR alliance of blocking him by force, hooliganism, insults and physical aggression to exercise his duties.

[79] On 14 September 2021, Ionuț Moșteanu announced that USR PLUS deputies had sent letters to Ludovic Orban and Anca Dragu, requesting the convening of a joint plenary to debate the motion of no confidence "The firing of the Cîțu Government, the only chance for Romania to live!

[83] Anca Dragu accused Cîțu of blocking the activity of the Parliament and asked him to come with proposals for new ministers on all ministerial positions that belonged to USR PLUS before the political crisis began.

[84] Orban cataloged the postponing of the vote for the motion of no confidence a ridiculous decision,[85] adding that President Klaus Iohannis can get Romania out of the political crisis with a "15 minute head-to-head".

[89] In reaction, the social-democrats (PSD) practiced golf near Romexpo (where the PNL congress took place) while a senator from the same party came in the Parliament with a hoe (as a mock to Iohannis).

[92] In protest for the continued postponing of the voting of the motion of no confidence in the Parliament, the AUR decided to enter parliamentary strike indefinitely starting 20 September 2021.

[96][95] The same amount of c. 5,000 delegates participating[97] remained unchanged[98] despite a surge in COVID-19 pandemic numbers with 7,045 cases and 130 deaths reported on 22 September 2021,[99] compared to the 1,443 cases and 21 deaths reported on 1 September 2021 (the day the political crisis began),[100] USR PLUS accused the Prime Minister of buying delegate votes on the congress, claiming that he "proves that he has no scruples and is only interested in winning the [PNL's] congress using in this sense the public resources and the position [of Prime Minister] he temporarily holds".

[101] On 24 September 2021, the PSD notified the Police, Gendarmerie and the IGSU on the organization of PNL's congress (with 5,000 delegates physically present in an indoor area), accusing the party of falsifying such a meeting by associating it with an "artistic production" and "cultural activity" in an effort to defy the restrictions on large gatherings set due to the fourth wave of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Subsequently, Cîțu announced that a new PNL leadership team will be voted the next day, which will have the aim of addressing the decrease in opinion polls of what is now his party so as to win all the elections in 2024.

[115] In the meantime, the Social Democratic Party (PSD) announced that it submitted its own motion of no confidence against the Cîțu cabinet, entitled "STOP poverty, price increases and criminals!

[134] On 7 October 2021, the president of the PSD Marcel Ciolacu announced that he will file a penal complaint against Florin Cîțu for abuse of office after his interim government had withdrawn 1 billion lei from the Reserve Fund to allocate it to town halls and county councils, affirming: "Iohannis and Cîțu decided that if you do not live in a community led by a [national] liberal, you will suffer from cold, poverty and hunger!

[162] Because the Second Cioloș Cabinet failed to pass through Parliament the previous day, President Klaus Iohannis convened new consultations at Cotroceni Palace on 21 October 2021.

[175][176] On 25 October 2021, Prime Minister-designate Nicolae Ciucă met with PNL leader Florin Cîțu and President Klaus Iohannis from which it was speculated that he thereafter received a flexible mandate to negotiate a majority government,[177] following another meeting with Dacian Cioloș whose party (USR) afterwards declared that it will support an eventual Ciucă Cabinet only in the form of a refreshed coalition,[178] fact which was confirmed to be false by Cîțu.

[179] On 26 October 2021, Ciucă, on behalf of the PNL, sent an open letter to all parties in the Parliament in which he demanded support of a PNL–UDMR minority government; a ceasefire until after the winter of 2021-22 amid the COVID-19 pandemic fourth wave and energy crisis.

Florin Roman compared the phenomenon with the case of Călin Popescu-Tăriceanu, who left PNL to form the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats (ALDE), and asked for the expelling of Orban and his supporters.

[195] On 12 November 2021, the PNL expelled Orban at the proposal of the party's Secretary-General Dan Vîlceanu, a supporter of Florin Cîțu, consequently opening the door to a new political force.

In response, Dragu stated that "the first concern of the new USL [the PSD-PNL-UDMR coalition] was to provide a function [the Senate presidency] for the party" and announced that she will file a complaint to the Constitutional Court on the matter, calling it a "tyranny" and "abuse of power".

[213] On 8 December 2021, the National Anticorruption Directorate (DNA) began investigating the way the September 2021 PNL congress was organized on the grounds of thwarting the fight against diseases (specifically COVID-19) and abuse of office.

[230] On 1 November 2021, the Alliance for the Union of Romanians (AUR) announced that it began proceedings for the impeachment of President Klaus Iohannis, citing "repeated violations of the Constitution" since the start of his presidential term.

[236] On 3 October 2021, upon the call of the leaders of AUR along with the Senator Diana Șoșoacă (de facto aligned with Ninel Peia's PNR), significant anti-governmental and anti-COVID-19 restriction protests were held throughout the country, most notably the University Square in Bucharest where c. 15,000 people participated.

[238] On the other hand, in Bucharest, Lazăr Maior, Călin Georgescu, Dan Puric, and Cristian Terheș called for civil disobedience, which was deemed totally irresponsible later on by Cîțu.

Energy and food prices have increased,[74] and caused a boost to the depreciation of the Romanian leu, with the reference rate in report with the euro exceeding 5 lei in some banks.