Key facts
- Romania's potential prime minister Siegfried Mureșan warned that the far-right AUR party is polling at 35 percent.
- Mureșan urged the Social Democratic Party (PSD) to back his center-right National Liberal Party (PNL) in a new vote by the end of next week.
- PSD leader Sorin Grindeanu stated the party will not vote for Mureșan's government unless it is part of the formation.
- The PSD and AUR previously voted together to bring down the previous government.
- Mureșan is a key negotiator on the EU's €2 trillion long-term budget.
Romania faces a critical juncture as Siegfried Mureșan, a European lawmaker and potential prime minister, warned that a failure to form a pro-European government could lead to the far-right Alliance for the Union of Romanians (AUR) gaining power. Mureșan is urging the center-left Social Democratic Party (PSD) to support his center-right National Liberal Party (PNL) in a new parliamentary vote, emphasizing the dangerous precedent such a coalition would set for the European Union.
Mureșan stated that the PSD leadership has so far refused to back his bid, but he hopes to convince them by the end of next week. He called on the EU's center-left S&D group to intervene, arguing that their silence on potential cooperation between Romanian socialists and the far-right would damage their credibility. The PSD leader, Sorin Grindeanu, has indicated that his party would only support a government it is part of, though he has not entirely ruled out discussions if Mureșan includes ten of the PSD's policy proposals, such as energy infrastructure, defense, and education investment.
If Mureșan's proposed cabinet is rejected, President Nicușor Dan can call early elections, the first since 2024 when the AUR saw significant gains. Mureșan acknowledged that the AUR is currently polling at 35 percent, compared to his PNL's 21 percent, and that early elections are not his preferred outcome. He also highlighted that a far-right government in Romania would complicate his work as a chief negotiator on the EU's €2 trillion long-term budget and could lead to a government that is more favorable to Russia.