Together with the "Junimists", Știrbei made a triumphant return to the Assembly in the electoral sweep of January 1888, although the overall victory was endangered by factional disputes. According to one account, he himself had only joined the opposition after the failure of secret negotiations with Brătianu, who wanted him to become a National Liberal. By March, he was instrumental in forming the "united opposition" which removed Brătianu, replaced by the "Junimist" Th. Rosetti. He was subsequently Rosetti's Minister of Public Works (March–November 1888) and of Interior (November 1888–March 1889), being again elected at Dolj in October 1888. As Interior Minister, he had to deal with the effects of a peasant revolt that had occurred during the first half of 1888, as well as the first general strike by typographers, which ended by satisfying certain demands by the workers. He was also tasked with solving the issue of Romanian participation in the Paris World Fair, on which issue he was opposed to his cousin Georges Bibesco, who led the National Committee. One contemporary described him as "loyal, hard-working, knowledgeable and precise in his duties". In contrast, George Panu of the Radical Party mocked his "most profound muteness" as a deputy, his only visible "passion" being that of regaining a ministerial seat. This despite him having "all the negative qualities", an "absolute nobody" in politics (if "eminently honorable" in regular life).