Romanian PM-designate Mureșan continues negotiations for minority government
He stressed that the government would be formed by the three parties that currently support his nomination and would not include PSD members.
iulian ernst · Journalist
· 2 min read
Romanian prime minister-designate Siegfried Mureșan rejected calls to return his mandate before seeking the Parliament’s vote and said he expected to hold talks with Social Democrat leader Sorin Grindeanu on his government programme and ruling strategy.
The PSD leadership has recommended that the party not support Mureșan’s government, although Grindeanu has left the door open to discussions.
Mureșan reiterated after meeting the National Liberal Party (PNL) parliamentary caucus on September 22 that he would not resign, saying he was negotiating with senators and deputies “with respect” and would discuss the government program with Grindeanu “with openness”, Agerpres reported.
He stressed that the government would be formed by the three parties that currently support his nomination – PNL, Save Romania Union (USR) and the Democratic Union of Hungarians in Romania (UDMR) – and would not include PSD members.
“As I said from the beginning, we are first meeting with the three parties that officially support my designation. And I know that Mr Grindeanu is impatient. I also expect to have a dialogue with him, to discuss the government programme in the course of these days, maybe even tomorrow,” Mureșan told reporters at Parliament.
Mureșan also wrote on Facebook that the parliamentary vote on his cabinet would demonstrate “who supports a pro-European government and who wants to keep Romania in place”.
Before the PNL meeting, party spokesperson Ionel Bogdan said Mureșan and his team would work with PNL, USR and UDMR to try to secure the 233 votes required for investiture.
“The 233 votes can only be proven in Parliament, only through the vote expressed by the lawmakers. So, we will see when the time comes whether we get the 233 votes. Until then, Siegfried Mureșan and his team will work together with the PNL, USR and UDMR to try to form a majority,” Bogdan said.
Asked about UDMR leader Kelemen Hunor’s recommendation that Mureșan return his mandate if he cannot secure 233 votes before the parliamentary vote, Bogdan described the issue as part of the normal discussions taking place within the three-party grouping. He said the UDMR’s position would become clearer after its internal meetings.
“I don't think it is necessarily pressure. I think the most important thing is that the government program represents the needs that Romania has today and especially the realities in the country,” Bogdan said.
