Decisive day today at Cotroceni. Nicușor Dan consults the parties on appointing a new prime minister / Schedule of the meetings and the parties’ main positions

The leaders of the parliamentary parties are going to Cotroceni Palace on Thursday for consultations with President Nicușor Dan, who must nominate a candidate for the position of prime minister. The discussions are taking place against the backdrop of Romania’s longest political crisis, 135 days after the Bolojan Government was dismissed through a no-confidence motion.

Schedule of Thursday’s consultations at Cotroceni:

09:00 - Social Democratic Party (PSD);

09:30 - Alliance for the Union of Romanians (AUR);

10:00 - National Liberal Party (PNL);

10:30 - Save Romania Union (USR);

11:00 - Democratic Alliance of Hungarians in Romania (UDMR);

11:30 - Parliamentary Group of National Minorities;

12:00 - S.O.S. Romania Party (SOS);

12:30 - Party of Young People (POT);

13:00 - United for Romania parliamentary group;

13:30 - PACE – First Romania parliamentary group;

14:00 - Unaffiliated parliamentarians.

Diverging positions are expected, and the parties have not yet announced a parliamentary majority capable of supporting a new government.

PSD is proposing Sorin Grindeanu and supports a political government formed around the party, ruling out an alliance with AUR. PNL, USR, and UDMR support Siegfried Mureșan and are calling for alternation in government, while USR has also raised the possibility of snap elections. UDMR is also proposing a government made up of experienced civil servants, while AUR is making its support conditional on participating in government. The United for Romania group supports Victor Ponta.

Other names being considered for the position of prime minister include Alexandru Nazare, Luca Niculescu, and Leonardo Badea, the National Bank’s first deputy governor. According to political sources, Nazare would have significant chances of being nominated.