Romanian President Nicușor Dan is holding a new round of consultations with parliamentary parties and political groups at Cotroceni Palace on Monday, as he prepares to designate a new candidate for the position of Prime Minister.
The consultations come after Parliament rejected the government proposed by Liberal politician Siegfried Mureșan last week. Mureșan was the third Prime Minister-designate in the past five months to fail to secure parliamentary approval, deepening the political uncertainty in Romania.
According to the schedule announced by the Presidential Administration, the consultations began at 2:00 p.m. with the delegation of the Social Democratic Party (PSD), followed at 30-minute intervals by the Alliance for the Union of Romanians (AUR), the National Liberal Party (PNL), the Save Romania Union (USR) and the Democratic Alliance of Hungarians in Romania (UDMR).
The schedule is as follows:
- 2:00 p.m. – Social Democratic Party (PSD)
- 2:30 p.m. – Alliance for the Union of Romanians (AUR)
- 3:00 p.m. – National Liberal Party (PNL)
- 3:30 p.m. – Save Romania Union (USR)
- 4:00 p.m. – Democratic Alliance of Hungarians in Romania (UDMR)
- 4:30 p.m. – Parliamentary Group of National Minorities
- 5:00 p.m. – S.O.S. Romania Party
- 5:30 p.m. – Young People’s Party (POT)
- 6:00 p.m. – United for Romania Parliamentary Group
- 6:30 p.m. – PACE – Romania First Parliamentary Group
- 7:00 p.m. – Non-affiliated MPs.
The discussions are taking place against the backdrop of an ongoing political crisis that began after the dismissal of the government led by Ilie Bolojan in May.
Since then, President Nicușor Dan has made several attempts to identify a Prime Minister capable of securing sufficient parliamentary support. The previous nominees were Eugen Tomac, Adrian Veștea and Siegfried Mureșan.
The latest consultations are expected to focus on the possibility of forming a government that can obtain a parliamentary majority and address Romania’s immediate economic and institutional challenges.
The positions of the parliamentary parties remain divided. According to statements made ahead of the consultations, PSD has indicated that it is prepared to assume government responsibility, while PNL has maintained its position regarding the composition of a future governing coalition. AUR has also presented its own conditions for supporting a new government.
President Nicușor Dan has said he intends to announce a new Prime Minister-designate following Monday’s consultations. The next nominee will need to obtain a vote of confidence in Parliament in order to form a new government.
Under Article 103 of the Romanian Constitution, the President designates a candidate for Prime Minister after consulting the party holding an absolute majority in Parliament or, where no such majority exists, the parties represented in Parliament.
The consultations at Cotroceni are therefore seen as a key step in Romania’s efforts to end the current political uncertainty and establish a government with sufficient parliamentary backing.
