Romanian Social Democrat leaders recommend voting against Siegfried Mureșan government

The leadership of Romania’s Social Democratic Party (PSD) has recommended that its lawmakers vote against the future government of prime minister-designate Siegfried Mureșan, party president Sorin Grindeanu announced. The party’s National Political Council must still approve the decision before it becomes final.

Grindeanu reiterated that PSD would support only a government in which it was represented.

“PSD’s National Permanent Bureau decided today not to vote for the Bolojan 2.0 government,” he said after Monday’s meeting, as quoted by News.ro. “This recommendation will be submitted to the National Political Council, which, under the party statute, is the body that makes the final decision in such cases.”

He thus accused Siegfried Mureșan of seeking to continue the economic policies of caretaker prime minister Ilie Bolojan.

“PSD is saying ‘stop’ to the continuation of policies that impoverish Romanians and the Romanian economy,” Grindeanu said. “People can no longer bear higher taxes, high prices, and successive layoffs.”

The PSD leader claimed that purchasing power had declined for 12 consecutive months and cited falls in consumption, industrial output, and foreign direct investment. He also criticized recent increases in electricity and fuel prices.

“PSD cannot endorse, through its vote, the continuation of this disastrous economic model,” he said.

Sorin Grindeanu further argued that Siegfried Mureșan had not explained how he would cover what the PSD leader described as an approximately RON 30 billion gap in the state budget. He also called on the prime minister-designate to present plans for the upcoming budget adjustment and the 2027 budget.

In his turn, in a post on Facebook, Siegfried Mureșan announced that one of this main goals is to reduce VAT back to 19% as soon as the country could afford it. “Romania’s economy is on a more solid footing, and we do not need further increases in taxes or VAT,” he wrote, arguing that the government should continue reducing waste and controlling state spending before considering an easing of fiscal measures.

Liberal MEP Mureșan is backed by the National Liberal Party (PNL), Save Romania Union (USR), and the Democratic Alliance of Hungarians in Romania (UDMR). President Nicușor Dan nominated him last Thursday after saying he had received the most support among parliamentary parties during consultations.

PSD and the far-right Alliance for the Union of Romanians (AUR) have both said they will not support the proposed cabinet, complicating Mureșan’s efforts to secure the 233 votes required for Parliament’s confidence.

Romania has been governed by Ilie Bolojan’s caretaker administration since his Liberal-led cabinet was dismissed in a no-confidence vote more than four months ago. Mureșan has ten days from his formal nomination to submit his governing programme and proposed cabinet and seek an investiture vote.