Who does the biggest party in Romania nominate for PM?

Romanian economist Liviu Voinea, a former budget minister in Victor Ponta’s second cabinet and currently a deputy governor of Romania’s National Bank (BNR), was nominated by the Social Democratic Party (PSD) for the Prime Minister position, according to PSD president Liviu Dragnea (picture, right). The PSD leader informed President Klaus Iohannis of his party’s option during the second round of consultations held yesterday evening. “We thought of Mr. Liviu Voinea because he fulfills the integrity and expertise criteria and has the trust of several important financial institutions,” said Dragnea after his talks with Iohannis, reports local Hotnews.ro. He added that Voinea would also benefit from the central bank’s support. Liviu Voinea, 40, holds a Ph.D. in Economics from Bucharest’s Academy of Economics (ASE), and has been an economics teacher for various universities in Romania. He joined Victor Ponta’s first Government, in May 2012, as a state secretary in the Finance Ministry, and in December 2012 Ponta appointed him as minister delegate for budget, a position he held until August 2014, when he was voted for a deputy governor position in the central bank’s board. President Klaus Iohannis seems to favor a technocrat government, which would lead Romania in the next year, rather than call for early elections. The National Liberal Party (PNL), which has been calling for early elections, said yesterday that it would agree to a technocrat Government. PNL co-president Alina Gorghiu said, however, that she hoped the President would come up with a different name than the one proposed by PSD. editor@romania-insider.com (photo source: presidency.ro)