Romania’s prime minister Ilie Bolojan declines parliamentary invitation from PSD and AUR

Prime minister Ilie Bolojan announced that he would not attend the “Prime Minister’s Hour” debate scheduled in Parliament for November 3, citing prior commitments related to Romania’s defence industry partnership with Germany’s Rheinmetall AG. The session had been requested separately by the opposition Social Democratic Party (PSD) and the nationalist Alliance for the Union of Romanians (AUR), Bursa.ro reported.

In a government statement, Bolojan said he welcomed parliamentary debate but requested that the session be rescheduled.

“Parliament is a fundamental institution of democracy, which must be respected as such, and a civilised and serious debate on issues of public interest can only benefit the citizens of Romania,” the statement read.

According to the government, the prime minister’s agenda on Monday is fully dedicated to the signing of a strategic contract with Rheinmetall and to discussions on the SAFE Programme described as crucial for Romania’s economic and defence development.

“With the assurance of his full availability, Prime Minister Ilie Bolojan will ask the Permanent Bureaus of Parliament to reschedule the ‘Prime Minister’s Hour’ for a day that will allow the harmonisation of agendas,” the statement added.

The AUR parliamentary group had invited Ilie Bolojan to present the government’s position on “the real situation of the country’s preparation for the winter of 2025–2026, in the context of the accelerated increase in energy prices, the budget execution for the end of 2025, and the vision for the budget for 2026.”

Separately, PSD lawmakers called for a debate on “the withdrawal of American troops from Romania - the lack of reaction of the government and the implications for Romania’s strategic and security commitments.” Both debates were planned for Monday afternoon.

(Photo source: Inquam Photos/George Calin)