Sorin Grindeanu, the president of the Social Democratic Party (PSD), said on Wednesday, July 1, that he agrees to a government rotation agreement as long as PSD is the party taking over governing first, Hotnews.ro reported.

PSD was part of a governing coalition alongside the National Liberal Party (PNL), the Save Romania Union (USR), and the Democratic Union of Hungarians in Romania (UDMR) until early May, when it sided with the hard-right Alliance for the Union of Romanians (AUR) and toppled the government led by PNL leader Ilie Bolojan in a no-confidence vote. The agreement between the coalition parties stipulated that PNL would hold the PM position for the first part of the governing cycle, after which PSD would follow.

After president Nicuşor Dan made two prime minister nominations that failed to gather the support of a parliamentary majority, PSD has proposed its president, Sorin Grindeanu, for the job, while PNL, USR, and UDMR put forth Liberal member of the European Parliament Siegfried Mureșan. PNL, USR, and UDMR asked for a rotating system where Mureșan would be prime minister until April 2027. A PSD-led government would then follow.

Grindeanu ruled out a collaboration with AUR to get the needed votes for a PSD government to pass.

“I respect the AUR voters, but at this point we cannot speak of a collaboration of [e.n. AUR leader] George Simion. Those who voted for AUR should realize who is keeping Ilie Bolojan in office. It is AUR and George Simion,” Grideanu said.

So far, the parties that used to be part of the governing coalition have failed to reach an agreement on a future government.

President Dan has asked the parties to hold negotiations and come up with a parliamentary majority before he makes another PM nomination.

simona@romania-insider.com

(Photo source: Inquam Photos/George Calin)