Ludovic Orban steps down as PM-designate, President Iohannis convenes political consultations

Ludovic Orban has resigned as prime minister-designate, President Klaus Iohannis announced on Tuesday evening.

“This evening, Mr Ludovic Orban resigned as prime minister-designate,” Iohannis said in a press statement.

The head of state also said that he had convened the parliamentary parties on Wednesday for consultations after accepting Ludovic Orban’s resignation

“I am convening consultations with the parliamentary parties, tomorrow from 16:00hrs to 20:00hrs,” Iohannis announced, underlining though that Ludovic Orban remains his first option as Prime Minister.

“The motivation is as simple as clear. The regulations of the Parliament’s joint activities stipulate a time frame of 15 days when the join chambers should give an opinion on the proposed Cabinet. These 15 days have passed without any vote. Basically, this situation was prompted by PSD. Because of PSD, which boycotted the plenary session on Monday, no vote could be cast. We risk a deadlock and this is the last thing we want”, President Iohannis said.

Asked who might be nominated as PM and if the current Defence Minister Nicolae Ciuca could be an option, Iohannis replied: “You’ll find out on Wednesday after the consultations”.

PSD interim chairman Marcel Ciolacu stated it was normal for Ludovic Orban to resign as interim Prime Minister, since there was a decision of the Constitutional Court in this regard. Ciolacu said that PSD would most probably not come up with a PM proposal, arguing the head of state ” has already said he will not consider any proposal coming from the PSD” and that Social Democrats would favor a technocrat Cabinet until the elections.
USR chairman Dan Barna said that their proposal for the PM seat is Dacian Ciolos. “We also asked for these consultations, we consider them natural to take the first steps to get out of the current political crisis”, Barna said.

“The solution is early elections, but if we cannot reach this goal we voiced out availability to join ruling. We are ready to assume the important projects Romania needs”, he added.