The current prime minister is preparing to leave Palatul Victoria nearly four months after the government was dismissed by a motion of no confidence voted by PSD and AUR.
At the beginning of September, a technocratic executive will be installed, most likely led by Eugen Tomac, according to political sources, but nothing is definitively settled yet. Negotiations could lead to a different appointment.
President Nicușor Dan strongly desires a return to the initial option, which he considers the most effective in the current political context, with a fragmented parliament and a majority that rejects holding early elections.
Ilie Bolojan's mission, one that he imposed on himself, was to take a series of unpopular measures to rapidly reduce the huge budget deficit, balance the economy, make some staff reductions in public administration, and pass the rating agencies' exams.
He accomplished all of this in a hostile environment, without the support of the President of Romania and under a strong attack led by PSD on all communication channels they control.
To this was added the operation developed by Judge Lia Savonea, the President of the High Court of Cassation and Justice, along with several magistrates, who practically annihilated the political life of PNL through a series of quick decisions made in courtrooms that blocked party leadership decisions, even annulling the party's congress, an unprecedented case in Romanian democracy since 1990.
A technocratic government supported by PNL
Through a combination of stubbornness, transparency in communication with the people, and a rare diligence for a political leader in Romania, Ilie Bolojan achieved something that only Traian Băsescu had accomplished before - gaining significant popular support, facing obstacles that seemed insurmountable for a political leader.
"A formula in which the incoming government has parliamentary support on which it must be able to rely for at least a defined period of time, comes with a governing program that maintains the line of controlling state expenses, reducing deficits will have the support of PNL even if the issue arises of it being a government with a technocratic profile…," stated Ilie Bolojan in an interview, quoted by news.ro, last weekend.
"The sooner we have a government, the better it is for this country, and each of us has a responsibility to seek solutions for this," added the current prime minister, dismissed by a vote of no confidence on May 5.
These words pave the way for the formation of a majority consisting of PSD, PNL, USR, and UDMR to vote for a new executive.
What will happen afterward is hard to anticipate, but we will certainly have tough negotiations in which Sorin Grindeanu will seek to impose individuals who can be controlled by PSD in key ministries, such as the Ministry of Development, where funds for mayors are located.
Additionally, the new government will be "godfathered" by Nicușor Dan, who, in a way, will tie his political destiny to it.
A potential failure would pose even greater problems for the current president, who has become estranged from his own electorate, being rejected even by the supporters of extremists.
The metaphor that changed Romania
A government under the auspices of the Cotroceni Palace, in a situation where Eugen Tomac, a trusted advisor of Nicușor Dan, becomes prime minister, will be viewed with suspicion, especially since hostility towards PSD and the maneuvers of the party are at high levels.
Nevertheless, after an extremely difficult year, there are premises for achieving a balanced budget for 2027, more friendly to investors and those working in the private sector, as well as to vulnerable individuals.
Perhaps Ilie Bolojan's greatest achievement was changing a toxic paradigm imposed and promoted by PSD for over a decade and a half: that state salaries should be higher than those in the private sector.
The metaphor of the "rats in the pantry" provoked a revelation in the collective mindset, marking a turning point. If Romania does not change, does not break free from the paradigm of a "socialist" or "semi-capitalist" state where entrepreneurial spirit, innovation, work, and meritocracy are stigmatized, then it has no chance.
The legacy
It will be interesting to see if, once he leaves Palatul Victoria, Ilie Bolojan will have the strength, ability, and determination to keep the torch lit in the pantry to reveal any acts of corruption, abuses, and attempts to turn Romania back to the Iohannis - Ciucă - Ciolacu era, one from which he tried to extract us.
It will also be interesting to observe the dynamics of the relationship between Nicușor Dan and Ilie Bolojan. The head of state, no longer a secret to anyone, sees the current prime minister as the biggest threat to obtaining a new presidential term.
As things evolve, it is not certain that he will finish as the first. In the situation where the PSD-AUR alliance continues to function on certain issues, there is a possibility for Ilie Bolojan to become Nicușor Dan's savior, and the popularity of the PNL leader to discourage Simion and Grindeanu from pursuing the path of suspending the president.
Maintaining Romania's country rating this year did not come by itself. It was almost impossible, considering the situation inherited a year ago, considering the unforeseen external crises, and considering the internal political attacks. Ilie Bolojan's determination and skill were stronger than all. I say it very clearly: there are extremely few politicians who could have saved us this year, as he did.
Siegfried Mureșan, PNL, Member of the European Parliament, proposed for the position of prime minister
Starting today, Romania enters a new stage, transitioning to an executive controlled by PSD and the Cotroceni Palace, promising to do things better.
The PNL-USR political bloc will have the opportunity to oppose this new power axis and consolidate its political support.
AUR, at least in the initial period of the new executive's functioning, will lose credibility, with some supporters of the extremist party becoming attentive to what is happening in the PNL and USR areas.
PSD, although it will impose a few individuals in the new government, will continue to not take responsibility for the actions of the executive, maintaining the intensity of attacks against Bolojan and Dominis Fritz. The intensity of these attacks actually indicates the source of the threat. The Social Democrats will remain in a desperate situation regarding future parliamentary elections.
In a way, Ilie Bolojan's mandate is the most serious way some liberals have apologized for Klaus Iohannis's disastrous second term, which imposed a toxic alliance between PNL and PSD, one that almost destroyed Romania and the liberal party.
However we look at the situation, with a war at the border, a surge in oil prices, heightened economic volatility, Ilie Bolojan leaves Romania in a much better situation than when he took over, something that rarely happens in Romanian politics.