Eugen Tomac submitted his mandate at the end of the 10 days he had to form a new government, and Nicușor Dan designated a new prime minister, starting over. It is about Adrian Veștea, a politician with 30 years of experience in PNL, associated with the anti-Bolojan faction within the party.
The announcement was made on Sunday in a press statement at the Cotroceni Palace, supported by President Nicușor Dan alongside Adrian Veștea and Eugen Tomac.
Nicușor Dan emphasized that neither he nor Eugen Tomac "played at governing," but now he realized that, "at this moment, it is clear that a political solution is the appropriate one."
Adrian Veștea, the designated prime minister, said he takes on this responsibility in a time of political crisis, relying on his knowledge of "from the grassroots what people's expectations are, what problems they face, and what needs to be done." He will focus heavily on development from day one and address urgencies such as PNRR, OCDE, and SAFE.
He also mentioned his desire for a political government that embraces real reforms and maintains Romania on a pro-Western path, intending to negotiate with democratic and pro-Western parties in parliament.
Adrian-Ioan Veștea is a PNL politician with a strong background in local administration. Born on December 14, 1973, in Râșnov, he served as mayor of Râșnov for three terms between 2004 and 2016. He then became the president of the Brașov County Council, a position he held from 2016 and returned to after leaving the government.
At the government level, Veștea was the Minister of Development, Public Works, and Administration in the Ciolacu Government from June 2023 until November/December 2024, when he left the Executive to resume his position as president of the CJ Brașov.
Within PNL, he is one of the influential leaders in the region: president of the PNL Brașov organization and party secretary-general in 2024.
Key statements made by Nicușor Dan:
- Mr. Eugen Tomac submitted his mandate this morning, and I designate Mr. Adrian Veștea as prime minister.
- Mr. Adrian Veștea has gone through all administrative stages: he was a successful mayor, a successful county council president, a successful minister. He is a person who attracted European funds, focused on development (developed the Brașov airport, which is a success).
- He is unequivocally pro-Western, a person with values, and, last but not least, a person who has worked extensively with budgets and budget responsibilities. I am confident he will successfully fulfill this task.
- I want to thank Eugen Tomac for his seriousness, commitment, and responsibility.
- Neither Mr. Tomac nor I played at governing. We went in this direction following consultations with political parties.
- However, at this moment, it is clear that a political solution is the appropriate one. I want to thank those who were prepared to be part of the government.
Statements made by Adrian Veștea:
- Thank you, Mr. President, for the trust placed in me.
- I take on this responsibility in a time of political crisis. I know the Romanian state well and understand from the grassroots what people's expectations are, what problems they face, and what needs to be done.
- I come after a 30-year journey in PNL. I went from a simple local councilor to three terms as mayor, the third term as county council president, and had the chance for a year and a half to be a member of the Romanian Government, serving as a Minister of Development.
- Through these opportunities, I had the chance to visit every county, talk to mayors, people, and I am fully convinced that we will soon form a team with strong parliamentary support.
- I want a political government that embraces real reforms and maintains Romania on a pro-Western path.
- We are the sixth country in Europe and must focus heavily on development, which I will do from day one.
- Additionally, I will have a policy focused on Romania's urgent priorities, such as: completing projects in the PNRR, joining the OECD, and operationalizing the SAFE program.
- The safety and well-being of Romanians are my objectives.
- I set out thinking of all the mayors in this country I have worked with, all Romanians whom I wish to serve with loyalty and responsibility.
- I am open to discussions with democratic and pro-Western political parties in the Romanian Parliament.
Statements made by Eugen Tomac:
- I set out 10 days ago with the conviction that I could convince the democratic parties affiliated with European families to grant me their trust.
- I was sincere, honest, open to any reasonable compromise that would quickly offer the country a government.
- I did not find this attitude from all parties, and I regret this.
- I thank those who accepted to be part of the list of ministers.
- I regret that I could not convince, but I hope that what follows is what is best for Romania.
Context
Eugen Tomac was designated by President Nicușor Dan on June 4 as a candidate for the position of prime minister. According to the Constitution, the candidate for the prime minister position had to request, within 10 days of designation, the vote of confidence from Parliament on the program and the entire government list.
The designated prime minister published the government program on Saturday, with "administrative-territorial reform" as the "top priority."
The final list of the Tomac Government included three deputy prime ministers and 15 ministers. Sorin Costreie was proposed as Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Education, while Valeriu Nistor and Bogdan Dumitru were proposed as deputy prime ministers without portfolio.
The proposed list of ministers is as follows:
- Interior: Tiberiu Trifan
- Finance: Ionuț Simion
- Transport: Ionuț Mașala
- Justice: Cosmin Soare-Filatov
- Defense: Dănuț Sebastian Neculăescu
- Economy, Digitalization, Entrepreneurship, and Tourism: Florin Duma
- Health: Ștefan Dragosloveanu
- Agriculture: Nicolae Istudor
- Foreign Affairs: Luca Niculescu
- Investments and European Projects: Carmen Moraru
- Environment: Teodor Dulceață
- Labor: Diana Morar
- Development: Vladimir Ionaș
- Culture: Mihai Ghyka
- Energy: Andrei Covatariu
To be invested, the Tomac Government needed at least 233 votes in Parliament. The designated prime minister stated on Saturday that he had over 200 votes, but it was difficult to say from where.
PNL and USR had announced they would not vote for the Tomac Cabinet. PSD had not officially announced how it would vote, and UDMR had said it would make a decision the following week.