Nicolae Ciuca, the new PM-designate

President Klaus Iohannis signed the decree appointing Nicolae-Ionel Ciucă as a candidate for the position of Prime Minister. Officially, Ciuca, former chief of staff and currently interim Defence minister, has been proposed by the National Liberal Party.

Now, the new PM-designate has to request the Parliament’s vote of confidence on the program and list of the new Government.

“We have just concluded consultations with the parties to find a solution for the government. Today’s discussions were considerably better than the previous ones. I reiterated at every meeting that a real solution is needed, that now the political crisis must end. We must put the political concerns to an end, as the crisis has lasted far too long. It is inadmissible to continue in this way. We have a pandemic crisis, a dramatic situation in hospitals, energy prices are rising. We need a government with full powers. I was very pleased and glad that PNL came up with a new approach. A candidate proposed in the person of Nicolae Ciucă was voted there unanimously. Analyzing the situation, the discussions, I decided to nominate Nicolae Ciucă as a candidate for the position of prime minister,” said President Iohannis after consulting the political parties represented in Parliament.

Nicolae Ciuca said he will start negotiations with “all responsible forces in Parliament”.

“I understood the entrustment of this mandate as an action of responsibility in these difficult times, in order to overcome the existing crisis, so that the citizens can benefit from everything that a government can provide. We will negotiate with all the responsible forces so that in a short time we will be able to form the government and the proposed government will be approved in the Parliament,” he stated.

Although PNL and its leader Florin Citu had said they were the ones who proposed Nicolae Ciuca for the PM position, mainstream media quoted sources claiming that it was President Iohannis himself who asked the Liberals to nominate Ciuca and that PNL-UDMR are preparing for a minority government, with PSD endorsing them in Parliament and with their former partners from USR in Opposition.

Political sources told Hotnews.ro that the plan had been already sealed, and the positions already split between PNL, PSD and UDMR. The Social Democrats will not have members nominated in the future Cabinet, instead they will receive something in return: the leadership of the Chamber of Deputies, while the Senate Speaker seat is wanted by the former PM Florin Citu.

Moreover, PSD was promised access to public money for their mayors by the nomination of an independent minister at one of the key ministries- the Development ministry or the Finance one.