Bucharest , Romania ( CNN ) -- Romanian President Traian Basescu will officially return to office after the country 's top court ruled Tuesday that a referendum to remove him was invalid . The nation-wide impeachment effort last month had appeared to be heading for failure because turnout was below 50 % . Prime Minister Victor Ponta made a last-ditch effort Monday to get the Constitutional Court to approve the referendum by submitting new voter lists , but the court said Tuesday the vote was not valid . Officials said after the referendum on July 29 that just over 46 % of registered voters had cast ballots . Those who did cast ballots voted nearly 9 to 1 to impeach the president , the Central Election Bureau said . Ponta said Basescu `` should strongly consider whether he is still legitimate or not in the office . '' Basescu had urged his supporters to boycott the polls , saying , `` The best help today is to stay home . '' After the polls closed , he said voters had rejected a `` coup '' by Ponta and the interim president , Crin Antonescu . Basescu had been suspended since parliament voted to impeach him in early July , saying he overstepped his authority by ordering wage and benefit cuts for public workers . The legislature is dominated by Ponta 's center-left USL party . Basescu said the austerity measures were needed to meet the terms of a $ 24 billion loan from the International Monetary Fund for the cash-strapped country , but the move soured many Romanians on his leadership . Romanian president suspended . Opponents also accuse Basescu of cronyism . He took office eight years ago and has already survived one effort to remove him , in 2007 . Ponta is dealing with his own controversy : He has been accused of plagiarizing his doctoral thesis . He has dismissed the accusation as a political attack from Basescu . Romania 's economy is starting to recover after two years of severe recession , but the International Monetary Fund recently said that `` a prolonged political crisis could hamper effective economic policy making , increase risk premiums and financing costs , further depreciate the exchange rate , and depress investment . '' The power struggle is expected to continue in the following months , as Romania is holding parliamentary elections this fall . Journalist Cosmin Stan contributed to this report .
President Traian Basescu survives a nation-wide vote to remove him . The country 's top court invalidates the referendum because of low turnout . - May 26 :