Romania still searches for a new government

Talks are underway in Bucharest for a new government

Bogdan Matei, 09.06.2026, 14:00

Unless the public opinion in Romania was, as opinion polls constantly show, overwhelmingly disgusted by the local political life and its animators, it would find this week a very exciting one. Eugen Tomac, the Prime Minister-designate, has time only until weekend to present his ruling programme and the executive team to apply it.

The talks he held on Monday with major parties from the former self-proclaimed pro-western ruling coalition, which was dismantled in early May, clearly showed the PNL and USR’s big reluctance to support a potential Tomac cabinet. Leaders of the aforementioned political groups have rejected the idea of a technocratic Executive, considered much too fragile and unable to carry on the reforms. Here is the interim Prime Minister and PNL president, Ilie Bolojan,

 Ilie Bolojan:” Such a government, which is not based on explicit political support, is not a solution for Romania, as it doesn’t actually have the ability to continue the reforms and pass through the difficult things Romania can’t avoid, without Parliament endorsement.“

Dominic Frits, the USR president and mayor of the city of Timisoara, in western Romania, has also referred to the issue.

Dominic Fritz:” A technocratic government, backed by the PSD, would actually prove a weak hand in carrying on these reforms, the very reforms for which the PSD has brought down the government.”

In the following days though, both the PNL and the USR are to present their decision on the investiture vote.

Although not that tough against the Prime Minister-designate, the PDS leaders have imposed a difficult condition, namely to completely scrap the austerity ruling promoted by Bolojan. Here is the head of the Chamber of Deputies, Sorin Grindeanu. Sorin Grindeanu: ”We are never going to vote for new pay cuts or higher taxes, we are not going to support measures that strike at the pensioners or the Romanian economy. If this government wants the PSD support, then the reforms and measures aimed at curbing the deficit must be applied from the top to the bottom, not the other way around as it was until now.”

Nevertheless, Eugen Tomac has voiced his conviction that he will muster the 233 Parliament votes needed to head a government. He believes the need for unblocking the present situation weighs heavier than the political tensions and has again appealed for responsibility from the political parties.

Eugen Tomac: ”It is the right of the parties to make a decision as they want, but I believe the best solution is to give me a vote of confidence. And I am confident the parties are going to do what is best for Romania and a government is what Romania needs right now.“

The main opposition group, the nationalist AUR, say they aren’t even going to attend the swearing-in ceremony.

(bill)