Nicușor Dan delays naming the prime minister / Luca Niculescu and Sorin Grindeanu remain the leading candidates

Nicușor Dan is postponing the appointment of a new prime minister, as informal negotiations between the parties have narrowed the options to two: Luca Niculescu, backed by the president, and Sorin Grindeanu, proposed by the PSD. The decision could be made by September 19, before the head of state’s departure for the United States, or after September 24.

According to information published by Libertatea, Nicușor Dan prefers Luca Niculescu, secretary of state at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and former ambassador of Romania to Paris. The UDMR could vote for a government led by Niculescu if the PNL also supports him, but it is not certain that it would join the government.

The Liberals accept the idea of an independent prime minister only in the case of a government without PSD members. At the same time, the UDMR does not want to end up voting alongside AUR, POT, or SOS, which complicates the formation of a parliamentary majority.

The second option is Sorin Grindeanu, favored by the PSD. The Social Democrats claim they could obtain between 233 and 235 votes, with the support of the UDMR, given that the required majority is 233 votes. The calculations are close, however, and the lack of a parliamentary guarantee is prompting the president to postpone the appointment.