The Social Democratic Party (PSD) is ready to form a new government around itself, including a minority administration, party leader Sorin Grindeanu announced on Monday, August 31. However, the party will not support any governing formula in which it does not participate, he said following a meeting of the PSD National Political Council in Sinaia.

“PSD is ready to support a functional government and assume the formation of a government around itself, including a minority government, but only on the basis of a clear program with precise objectives, deadlines, financing, and assigned responsibilities,” Sorin Grindeanu said, as quoted by News.ro.

“To be unequivocal, PSD will not support any governing formula of which it is not part,” he added.

Romania has been governed by a caretaker administration since the Liberal-led government of interim prime minister Ilie Bolojan was dismissed in a no-confidence vote in early May. 

The Social Democrats had withdrawn from the previous governing alliance before joining the far-right Alliance for the Union of Romanians (AUR) in passing the motion. Forming a new majority remains difficult, as the National Liberal Party (PNL) and Save Romania Union (USR) have repeatedly ruled out joining another government that includes PSD.

PSD, meanwhile, has said it would not accept PNL leader Ilie Bolojan as a member of a future cabinet.

On Monday, Sorin Grindeanu said PSD would first negotiate the objectives of a future administration and discuss its political structure, government positions, and allocation of responsibilities only if those priorities are accepted.

“Romania must restart its economy. Our goal is to protect purchasing power, stop fiscal experiments, and relaunch production in Romania,” he said.

PSD has proposed a two-year political agreement built around ten priorities to parties willing to help form a parliamentary majority. These include energy and natural resources, the national defence industry, reindustrialization, improved tax collection before the introduction of new taxes, reforming state costs, wages linked to productivity, education and healthcare, irrigation and rural development, strategic investments, and defending Romania’s interests within the EU and NATO.

Grindeanu said each measure included in the agreement should have identified financing, a deadline, a responsible institution, and a publicly available performance indicator. Progress would be assessed after the government’s first 100 days and again by a final evaluation deadline.

Any breaches of the agreement would be formally reported, technically assessed, and subjected to a 15-day mediation period. 

Romania’s constitutional, European, and transatlantic orientation would remain non-negotiable, the PSD leader added.

Last week, interim prime minister and PNL leader Ilie Bolojan confirmed that his party will not vote for a government with PSD ministers and warned that if negotiations on a new government remain deadlocked, Romania may head towards early elections. However, he added that the odds of early elections are rather slim.

irina.marica@romania-insider.com

(Photo source: Inquam Photos/Alexandru Nechez)