President Dan appoints new PM, bypassing coalition in democratic breach

President Nicusor Dan of Romania on Sunday bypassed governing coalition partners to name a new prime minister, a move critics say breaches democratic conventions and risks destabilising the country’s fragile parliamentary majority.

In a decree published on 21 June 2026, Mr Dan appointed an unnamed former finance official to head the government, bypassing consultations with the Social Democratic Party and the Save Romania Union that together hold 60 per cent of seats in the Chamber of Deputies . The president’s office gave no advance notice to coalition leaders, contradicting the power-sharing agreement that has underpinned Romania’s centre-left government since the 2024 elections.

Legal scholars and opposition figures immediately accused Mr Dan of overreach. “A prime minister must command the confidence of the parliamentary majority,” said constitutional law professor Elena Ionescu at the University of Bucharest. “When the head of state bypasses that majority, the separation of powers itself is at risk.” The National Liberal Party, the junior coalition partner, called the appointment “a unilateral act that undermines collective governance.”

The new premier, whose identity was not disclosed in the decree, is expected to be sworn in on Monday morning at the Cotroceni Palace. Mr Dan’s office said the nominee had “proven economic management credentials,” a reference to the candidate’s previous role as secretary of state in the finance ministry during the 2025 sovereign debt restructuring .

The appointment comes amid rising tensions over fiscal policy. On the same day, Finance Minister András Kármán announced that Gergely Tardos, a former Schroders Capital executive, would take over the State Debt Management Agency, a body responsible for €120 billion in sovereign liabilities . The move is seen as an attempt to signal continuity in debt strategy, but it does little to calm fears that Mr Dan is centralising authority.

Parliament is not scheduled to reconvene until 15 July, leaving the new prime minister in a legal grey zone until then. Opposition deputies have vowed to challenge the appointment in the Constitutional Court, arguing that the president lacks the constitutional power to appoint a prime minister without parliamentary endorsement. “This is not a caretaker government; it is a fait accompli,” said PSD whip Sorin Grindeanu.

With the ruling coalition already frayed by disputes over judicial reform and energy subsidies, Mr Dan’s decision risks tipping Romania into a constitutional crisis just two years after the last snap elections.