Key facts
- President Nicusor Dan will nominate Liberal MEP Siegfried Muresan as prime minister.
- Muresan has 10 days to form a cabinet and seek a vote of confidence.
- Romania faces pressure on its investment-grade credit rating due to political fragmentation.
- Standard & Poor's will review Romania's ratings on October 2.
- The Social Democrats, parliament's largest party, have nominated their leader, Sorin Grindeanu, for prime minister.
- Analysts suggest snap elections would benefit the hard-right Alliance for Uniting Romanians.
BUCHAREST, Sept 17 (Reuters) - Romania's President Nicusor Dan announced on Thursday he would nominate Liberal European lawmaker Siegfried Muresan as prime minister, aiming to end a prolonged political crisis. Muresan, 44, has been given 10 days to assemble a cabinet and present it to parliament for a confidence vote.
The country's political instability is putting pressure on its investment-grade credit rating. Fitch and Moody's had previously warned Romania about its ability to overcome political fragmentation and approve a budget that would cut its deficit, narrowly avoiding a downgrade in July. Standard & Poor's is scheduled to review the country's ratings on October 2.
This is the third nomination attempt by President Dan, a centrist, following his adviser Eugen Tomac, who withdrew before a vote, and Liberal Adrian Vestea, who failed to secure sufficient parliamentary support. Dan expressed frustration with political parties prioritizing electoral concerns over national interest, noting the absence of a clear parliamentary majority.
A pro-European coalition government led by Prime Minister Ilie Bolojan collapsed in early May when the Social Democrats, the largest party in parliament, withdrew their support and joined forces with the far-right opposition to file a no-confidence motion. The Social Democrats have put forward their leader, Sorin Grindeanu, as their candidate for prime minister and have stated they will not endorse a cabinet they are not part of. The Liberals, along with the Save Romania Union and the UDMR party, have ruled out forming another coalition with the Social Democrats.
Romania, an EU member state, has never held snap parliamentary elections, with the next scheduled polls in 2028. However, President Dan has not ruled out the possibility of early elections, a move analysts believe would primarily benefit the hard-right Alliance for Uniting Romanians, which is leading in opinion polls and opposes EU rearmament initiatives and aid for Ukraine.