Romania’s PNL and USR sign parliamentary cooperation agreement

Romania’s center-right National Liberal Party (PNL) and Save Romania Union (USR) have signed a parliamentary cooperation agreement aimed at coordinating their legislative and political actions throughout the current parliamentary term. The deal is not an electoral alliance or an agreement on political appointments, PNL vice president Alexandru Muraru said.

The agreement covers PNL’s 54 deputies and 26 senators and USR’s 40 deputies and 19 senators. Together, the two parties have 139 lawmakers, representing around one-third of Parliament.

Under the deal, the parliamentary groups will coordinate their support for bills already before Parliament, jointly initiate new legislation, and undertake political activities promoting policies developed together.

Convergent voting and the joint initiation of bills will be based on decisions made by the parties’ parliamentary group leaders.

“This agreement is not only a symbolic gesture, but a concrete commitment to transform common priorities into adopted laws,” USR MP Diana Stoica said.

She added that the partnership could serve as a model of legislative responsibility and efficiency.

The parties identified four initial priorities for the current parliamentary session: reforming public administration, pursuing administrative-territorial reform, changing the electoral system and reducing the size of Parliament, and eliminating the higher taxation of part-time employment.

Joint working groups will prepare common versions of the proposed legislation. The drafts will then be submitted for approval by each parliamentary group before entering the legislative process.

Alexandru Muraru said the parties’ political disagreements would not disappear but argued that they could build majorities around clearly defined objectives.

“Where there is agreement, there must also be a common vote,” he said.

PNL and USR also called for an end to online voting in the Chamber of Deputies, arguing that technology should not replace lawmakers’ physical presence during plenary debates and votes.