Romanian Liberals yet to confirm limited support for PM-designate Luca Niculescu

PNL will remain in opposition and support the government’s policies that are in line with its own strategy, party officials explained, as reported by G4media.ro.

PNL president Ilie Bolojan announced that the party could vote for the government despite the presence of PSD ministers, in a bid to end the political crisis.

In a post on his Facebook page on Thursday, Bolojan explained why the PNL might decide to support the Niculescu-led government.

“The PNL will make a final decision at the end of this week,” the interim prime minister said.

Bolojan recalled that the situation was becoming more complicated by the day with the government operating without full powers.

“After five months of political crisis, with a government without full powers, the situation is getting more complicated every day. [...]  The PNL will make a final decision at the end of this week. For now, the parliamentary groups have recommended that we vote for the government on the basis of an agreement that we could sign with the designated prime minister. The agreement precisely outlines the limits of specific support, strictly for budgetary objectives, the principles of transparency, good governance and parliamentary democracy, and remains valid until spring 2027. We also reserve the possibility of voting for a motion of censure if these principles are violated,” Bolojan said.

The PNL leader stressed that this would not mean restoring the former governing coalition and that the party would remain in opposition.

“Therefore, we are not rebuilding the coalition, and we will not under any circumstances give unconditional support for the investiture. The vote will not be one of confidence. The vote will be for an exit from a long crisis that Romania can no longer afford. The responsibility for the team with which he will govern belongs exclusively to the technocratic prime minister appointed by the president of Romania. And that is normal: he has the duty to form a cabinet and secure an investiture majority."