The Political Crisis in Romania Continues
Romania entered its parliamentary recess on July 1, even though it is in the midst of a political crisis.
Daniela Budu, 02.07.2026, 14:00
Even though Romania is in the midst of a political crisis that has left the country without a government with full powers, members of parliament have gone on parliamentary recess from July 1 to August 31. This is stipulated by the Rules of Procedure of the Chamber of Deputies: the first session begins in February and cannot extend beyond the end of June, while the second session begins in September and cannot extend beyond the end of December. Before beginning their recess, MPs were left with ‘unfinished business’. This includes, among other things, draft laws concerning the SAFE program and the reforms Romania still needs to implement to secure the final 10 billion euros from the National Recovery and Resilience Plan (PNRR). Both the Social Democrats and the Liberals, who lead the two chambers of Romania’s Parliament, say they will not hesitate to convene extraordinary sessions to adopt the projects assumed under the PNRR, so that Romania should not lose the European funds.
Meanwhile, the parties in the former PSD-PNL-USR-UDMR coalition have been unable to reach an agreement on forming a new government and continue to level accusations at one another. The PSD wants to take over the government either with a minority cabinet supported by an agreement the party would sign with right-wing parties, or through a new rotating coalition, provided that the Social Democrats are the first to appoint the prime minister. The party’s president, Sorin Grindeanu, believes that the PSD has been open throughout this period to finding a solution. Sorin Grindeanu: “It’s not that we’ve changed our minds, or that we’ve changed our position from one day to the next, others have. That doesn’t mean we aren’t open to finding a solution so that we can get through this period.”
For his part, PNL President Ilie Bolojan says that if you are once again being asked to cast a vote of confidence in a PSD government, you have to consider the conditions under which it is being requested. The Liberals want clear guarantees that the political agreement, once signed, will actually be honored. Ilie Bolojan: “The fundamental problem we face, and one that makes any kind of agreement very difficult, is the loss of trust among political parties, primarily within the PSD. You have to think very carefully about what conditions you can set. An agreement can include any kind of clause, but if those who sign it do not honor it, it is meaningless.”
Meanwhile, AUR announced that it is initiating procedures to suspend President Nicuşor Dan and to organize early elections. The party’s National Executive Council accuses the head of state of refusing to nominate a second candidate for prime minister and of excluding a significant portion of Romanians from the decision-making process. On Tuesday, Nicuşor Dan stated that the possibility of holding early elections exists, but that this scenario should be avoided because it would not bring about major changes in the political landscape, would maintain the current deadlock, and would create ‘an image of instability in Romania for months to come’. (LS)
