BUCHAREST, Feb 9 — Romania's parliament approved a new government of Prime Minister Mihai Razvan Ungureanu today, giving him a chance to make a clean break from his predecessor who quit after street protests against austerity, ahead of election due in November.

A number of 237 deputies voted in favour of Ungureanu's coalition cabinet versus 232 needed for a majority and two deputies voted against it. The leftist opposition Social Liberal Alliance (USL) boycotted the vote.

"Two hundred and thirty-seven deputies voted for Ungureanu's cabinet ," PDL deputy Dumitru Pardau told Reuters.

The 43-year-old former head of Romania's foreign intelligence service was nominated by the president. He inherited a coalition of the ruling centrist Democrat Liberals and smaller groups which together control a slim but functioning majority.

Former Prime Minister Emil Boc resigned this week after weeks of sometimes violent protests against pay cuts and tax increases taken under an International Monetary Fund deal, which has sent the PDL's popularity sliding to less than 20 per cent. — Reuters