A new prime minister-designate
The president has nominated MEP Siegfried Mureşan for the post of prime minister.
Roxana Vasile, 18.09.2026, 14:00
Siegfried Mureşan, a 44-year-old politician who built his career in Berlin and Brussels before becoming active in politics in Bucharest, is President Nicuşor Dan’s nominee for prime minister. He is the third nominee in the more than five months since the government led by liberal Ilie Bolojan, made up of the PNL, USR and UDMR, was dismissed by Parliament in a no-confidence vote.
Against a backdrop of irreconcilable party positions and a refusal to make any compromise, the parties represented in Romania’s Parliament gave no chance to the head of state’s previous two nominees for prime minister: MEP Eugen Tomac, who is not affiliated with any of the parliamentary parties, and liberal Adrian Veştea, who was rejected even by some of his own colleagues. Convinced that he could not secure a majority, Tomac resigned his mandate before going to Parliament to seek a vote of confidence for his proposed government. As for the cabinet put together by Veştea, it was defeated in the vote.
Will the latest nomination, that of PNL member Siegfried Mureşan, succeed? Will it matter that he has been an MEP since 2014 and is currently vice-president of the European People’s Party group in the European Parliament? As President Nicuşor Dan said, at this point Mureşan has the most votes – from the PNL, USR and UDMR – following the consultations that preceded the nomination. Nicuşor Dan: “Beyond the fact that he was put forward by the three parties, he is someone with experience in the European Parliament, someone who has negotiated important matters over the years, so he has the expertise for this position. Given the positions expressed by the parties, both publicly and today during the consultations, the task facing the prime minister-designate will be a difficult one.”
Under the law, Siegfried Mureşan has 10 days to form his cabinet and seek a vote of confidence from Parliament, which is a difficult task. He needs the support of 233 MPs to back his programme and list of ministers, while the three parties that nominated him have only 170 seats between them.
The PNL and USR regard Siegfried Mureşan as a serious and decent politician with experience that should be put at the service of the country. His current political opponent, however, once a governing partner – the PSD – says the MEP ran a campaign in Brussels against Romania to cut European funding, arguing that betrayal can never go hand in hand with defending the national interest. Meanwhile, the nationalist AUR is standing by its decision not to vote for a government of which it is not a part. If the government formed by Siegfried Mureşan fails and is rejected by Parliament, Romania could enter a scenario of early elections.
President Nicuşor Dan has said that he has noticed that political parties appear to be more concerned with electoral interests than with the national interest. He nevertheless expressed his conviction that Romania would remain on a pro-Western course and honour its commitments, including those concerning its fiscal trajectory. (EE)
