President Nicușor Dan announced on Thursday that he is proposing Siegfried Mureșan for prime minister, but is waiting to see if he accepts as well.
Just minutes after the president’s announcement, Siegfried Mureșan wrote on Facebook that he accepts the proposal.
Subsequently, Nicușor Dan conveyed on Facebook that he is pleased that Siegfried Mureșan has accepted the nomination for the position of prime minister.
In a brief press statement, the head of state specified that there is still no clear majority, so he chose to appoint for the position of prime minister the person who received the most votes expressed during consultations.
"We do not have a clear majority. I have chosen to appoint for the position of prime minister the person who has the most votes expressed during consultations. This person is Siegfreid Mureșan. I have spoken with Mr. Mureșan and he has requested some time to think, which I respect," stated the president.
Nicușor Dan criticized the political parties, stating that he saw more electoral concern and much less concern for national interests among them.
In the first part of the day, Nicușor Dan had a new round of consultations with parties and parliamentary groups to designate the prime minister, after four months of political crisis and two failed attempts to form a government.
Spotmedia.ro has broadcasted, in LIVE TEXT format, the statements of President Nicușor Dan:
- We are over four months since the government was dismissed by a vote of no confidence, and within this interval, we have had hundreds of hours of discussions together and separately with political parties to find a solution to exit this crisis.
- We have seen a lot of electoral concern and much less concern for national interests among the parties. Even a party leader told me privately: "Romania is your problem, the party is my problem. It's not right."
- It's not right, because our profession and the fact that we live off people's money mean that we need to reach a compromise so that we can negotiate the issues or, ultimately, the aspirations, if they differ, of the social and professional categories in our country.
- Romania needs a government, not just a budget adjustment. These, of course, are technicalities, but people's current lives and what they can buy, how they can carry out their lives depend on them. And not only now, but also in the medium term from now on.
- Romania needs a government. We do not have a clear majority. I have chosen to appoint for the position of prime minister the person who has the most votes expressed during consultations.
- This person is Siegfreid Mureșan. He is a person with experience in the European Parliament, who has negotiated important matters, so he has the expertise for this position. I have spoken with Mr. Mureșan and he has requested some time to think, which I respect.
- He remains my first choice at this moment and I am waiting for him to confirm or deny before publishing the decree in the Official Gazette.
- Whoever is in this position, given the parliamentary configuration and the options that parties have expressed publicly today during consultations, the task of the designated prime minister will be a difficult one.
- In any case, regardless of how we will come out of this equation, I am convinced that Romania will remain on the pro-Western path and will fulfill its commitments, including those related to the fiscal trajectory and our relationship with funders.
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Here are the positions of the parties at the end of the morning discussions:
- Sorin Grindeanu stated that PSD is prepared to take over governance, as it has the largest parliamentary group.
- George Simion announced that AUR will not vote for any government from which it is not a part. He also claims that his party is ready to govern.
- Ilie Bolojan requested a government with a credible prime minister, competent ministers, and a program focused on reforming the administration and maintaining control over public finances.
- Dominic Fritz announced that USR continues to support Siegfried Mureșan for the position of prime minister, but is open to another proposal from the president, while also maintaining the solution of two successive minority governments led by the same technocrat prime minister.
- Kelemen Hunor stated that UDMR has not proposed a prime minister, but is looking for a candidate capable of building a majority and a stable government.
- The leader of the minority group, Varujan Pambuccian, asked Nicușor Dan to postpone the appointment by one or two weeks, in the absence of a clear majority.
- The United for Romania group proposed Victor Ponta for the position of prime minister, but announced that they are willing to discuss other options for the rapid formation of a government.
- Cosmina Cerva stated that PACE will support a political government without "red lines" and rejected the option of a technocrat prime minister.
SOS Romania did not participate in the consultations, with Diana Șoșoacă, the only one who could lead the delegation, being in Strasbourg.