Romania’s PM-designate Luca Niculescu sees silver lining despite parties’ conflicting positions
Prime minister-designate Luca Niculescu ended the first day of consultations with the major parliamentary parties on an optimistic note, highlighting their declared commitment to meeting the country’s budgetary and fiscal obligations.
iulian ernst · Journalist
· 4 min read
However, the parties remain divided over the economic policy and political composition of a new government, leaving no clear path to a stable parliamentary majority.
Luca Niculescu suggested that finance minister Alexandru Nazare could retain his position in the new cabinet [consistent with the consensus on the continuing fiscal consolidation], but said it was too early to discuss ministerial appointments. He also has yet to decide whether the government will comprise politicians or technocrats, an option openly rejected by the Social Democrats (PSD).
“[Nazare] enjoys credibility among foreign partners; he is someone who can have his place in a government,” Niculescu told Antena 3, adding that “this discussion is premature”.
The Social Democrats and Liberals remain divided over the government formula.
Speaking after consultations with the Liberals (PNL), Niculescu acknowledged that proposals previously put forward by the PSD did not have the same level of support from PNL. It remained unclear whether he was referring to economic policy or the composition of the government.
The differences over economic policy are well established, hardly conciliable, and contributed to the collapse of the four-party centrist coalition. Reconciling the parties’ positions may therefore require a government with limited room for manoeuvre, focused on day-to-day administration and meeting fiscal commitments rather than implementing meaningful reforms – something like the current government of PM Ilie Bolojan but with Luca Niculescu and with full [but only formal] power.
PSD wants a political government, but refuses to govern alone.
PSD leader Sorin Grindeanu expressed a clear preference for a government composed of politicians rather than technocrats, but ruled out a PSD-only cabinet. Although PNL and the Hungarian party UDMR had signalled that they could support such a cabinet in Parliament, Grindeanu argued that this would leave the Social Democrats carrying the political burden of governing without adequate support.
He called on PNL and UDMR to join a future government as [junior] partners. Otherwise, he said, PSD would be prepared to support a minority PNL-UDMR cabinet from outside the government, according to an interview with
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