Romanian reformist block USR-PLUS, expected to be the junior partner in a potential center-right ruling majority after the December 6 general elections, announced that it would have its own candidate for the prime minister position.

Former EU Commissioner, who also served as Romania's prime minister in 2016-2017, MEP Dacian Ciolos is a better candidate for the prime minister seat compared to incumbent PM Ludovic Orban, USR-PLUS spokesman Ionut Mosteanu said on Friday, October 23, quoted by Ziare.com.

The statement came after president Klaus Iohannis expressed, in a press conference last week, his confidence that PM Orban would keep his seat after the general elections.

"USR will join the ruling majority on a reformist mandate. We want a prime minister with a mandate to pursue reforms. USR-PLUS wants to name the prime minister. We want an honest, loyal governing partnership. We want to sit at the table after the election, and we all [can] talk. Dacian Ciolos is, as an effect of our [USR-PLUS] protocol, the prime minister candidate," said Ionut Mosteanu at Digi 24 news channel.

He expressed his disappointment with PM Orban, whom he accused of misinformation regarding the vote for the Legislative Council's head - an ongoing argument between the National Liberal Party (PNL) and USR about who betrayed and sided with the Social Democrats.

(Photo: Steluta Popescu/ Dacian Ciolos Facebook Page)

andrei@romania-insider.com