What will the future government look like?
The prospective government in Bucharest, as proposed by the diplomat Luca Niculescu, includes left-wing politicians and technocrats.
Bogdan Matei, 16.10.2026, 14:00
Tuesday is the decisive day for the new cabinet assembled by Romania’s PM designate Luca Niculescu, a diplomat with no political affiliation and a former journalist. His prospective ministers will be interviewed by Parliament’s specialist committees during the first two days of next week, followed by the vote.
Two-thirds of the seats will be held by members of the PSD (Social Democratic Party), many of whom have served as ministers in previous cabinets. Returning to their posts are Florin Barbu at the agriculture ministry, Alexandru Rogobete at the healthcare ministry, and Florin Manole at the labour ministry.
Another Social Democrat, Marian Neacşu, has been nominated for deputy PM and interior minister. He carries a decade-old six-month suspended prison sentence a for conflict of interests, but given the very low moral standards of the political class in Bucharest, this detail goes almost unnoticed.
The remaining ministries will be led by people with no political affiliation, whom the media prefer to describe as specialists endorsed by president Nicușor Dan. The current interim finance minister Alexandru Nazare stays in his post, while Romania’s ambassador to NATO, Dan Neculăescu, will take over the foreign ministry.
The PM designate Luca Niculescu: “There is a need to care for people, they must feel that their lives are improving. I cannot promise any miracles, but I promise that we will do everything in our power to make things better. Pensions will be adjusted to inflation starting next year. Minimum wages are also under discussion, and it is quite possible that there will be good news on that front as well. Once again, I apologize for not being able to provide more specific figures, but we need to assess our standing following the budget adjustment and see how we close out the year. This will be a government for Romania. It includes many left-wing ministers, from the Social Democratic Party, as well as highly capable independents who excel in their respective fields, and we have several urgent tasks to address. Some measures lean toward the right, others toward the left, but as I said, it will be a government for this country.”
The National Liberal Party (PNL) has pledged to vote in favour of the Niculescu government, thereby ending a political deadlock that has lasted for nearly 6 months, and then to move into opposition. Support is also expected from the Democratic Union of Ethnic Hungarians in Romania (UDMR) and the MPs representing other ethnic minorities. AUR and Save Romania Union (USR) will not endorse the government.
Luca Niculescu is the fourth candidate nominated by Nicușor Dan for the prime minister post, after the minority government led by the Liberal Ilie Bolojan was dismissed following a no-confidence vote on May 5. Before Niculescu, the nominees were the Renew MEP Eugen Tomac (who stepped down before the vote in Parliament), the dissident Liberal Adrian Veștea, and the EPP MEP Siegfried Mureșan, both of whom were rejected by Parliament. (AMP)
