Ilie Bolojan signed the agreement with Luca Niculescu: “It is not a political agreement, it is not a blank check given to this government”

Gabriel Dumitrache

18 October 2026, 19:43

Politics

Foto: Shutterstock

Always see our news on Google

Interim Prime Minister and PNL President Ilie Bolojan announced on Sunday, October 18, that he had signed an agreement to support the government led by Prime Minister-designate Luca Niculescu. The document sets out the conditions under which the liberals would vote to invest the new Executive and covers the transition period until the adoption of the 2027 budget.

Bolojan said the agreement is not a political deal and does not constitute unconditional support for the future government. According to the PNL leader, the document allows Parliament to adopt the ordinances needed for budget adjustments, the operation of public services and the preparation of next year's budget.

One of the main conditions undertaken is reducing the budget deficit to no more than 5.3% of GDP in 2027, the target Romania had previously committed to. Bolojan warned that unfunded promises could worsen the country's situation, given that the future government's room for maneuver is limited.

The liberal leader explained that Romania pays more than 3% of GDP in interest annually, approximately 60 billion lei, amid the increase in public debt after 2020. He argued that reducing the deficit is necessary regardless of the government's political formula, in order to avoid accumulating new financing costs.

The statements were made amid discussions about the possible indexation of pensions to inflation, under two increase scenarios of 5% and 7%. Bolojan stressed that any increase must be backed by budgetary resources, given the difficult international context and high interest rates.

Context: PNL conditions its support for the Niculescu Government on fiscal targets and budget preparation

Before the announcement regarding the signing of the support agreement, Ilie Bolojan publicly presented the conditions under which the liberals would vote to approve the investiture of the government led by Luca Niculescu. The discussions concerned compliance with Romania’s assumed deficit targets and the continuity of fiscal and budgetary commitments until the budget for the following year is approved.

At the same time, Bolojan explained that PNL’s support is not unconditional: the liberals spoke about the possibility of submitting a motion of no confidence if the provisions of the agreement are not respected, while otherwise the party would refrain from resorting to this procedure. In parallel, the liberal leader insisted on the need for a government with full powers to manage budget adjustments and the operation of public services in the period ahead.

In the context of the negotiations, Bolojan also drew attention to the pressure generated by interest costs and to the risk that promises without financial backing could worsen the situation. He linked these warnings to budgetary difficulties and the need to maintain fiscal discipline, including for the preparation of the budget and to avoid the accumulation of new financing costs.