
2 months · 10 summary articles
Sorin Grindeanu was nominated in unanimous vote by the National Permanent Bureau of the Social Democratic Party (PSD) on Wednesday to lead a minority government, marking the party’s decision to assume full responsibility for governance after weeks of political deadlock. The announcement, confirmed by PSD leader Grindeanu following a meeting that began at 12:00 local time, signals the party’s intent to form a single-party administration with full autonomy over its governing program and ministerial appointments.
Grindeanu told reporters after the session that PSD had “asked for total freedom in choosing the team of ministers” and called for an end to internal finger-pointing, urging the party to focus on delivering concrete solutions. “The time has come to stop pointing fingers and to come up with real solutions,” he said, adding that PSD would retain full control over its governance agenda. The party has not ruled out negotiations with opposition groups, including the National Liberal Party (PNL), the Democratic Alliance of Hungarians in Romania (UDMR), and the Save Romania Union (USR), though Grindeanu emphasized that PSD would not “stand with our caps in hand before anyone.”
Reactions from rival parties were swift. Siegfried Mureșan, PNL vice president and an MEP, criticized the move on social media, writing that “the reality is exactly the opposite” of Grindeanu’s claims of transparency, arguing that PSD’s approach lacked clarity. USR deputy Iulian Lorincz went further, stating that his party would not support a minority PSD government, citing what he described as PSD’s repeated failure to honor past agreements. “There is no way we will vote for a party that has signed an agreement and trampled it underfoot many times,” Lorincz said.
UDMR leader Kelemen Hunor, however, suggested that a single-party PSD government is the most likely outcome, based on discussions to date. He also highlighted broader concerns about public trust, noting that “trust is the most serious deficit in Romanian society” and that state institutions often “mock the citizen.” Hunor added that during consultations at the Cotroceni Palace, two prime ministerial candidates were proposed—one of whom was former PSD leader Victor Ponta—both nominated by groups of parliamentarians who had left their original parties.
Meanwhile, Cătălin Predoiu, interim Interior Minister and a PNL member, reacted with irony to his party’s exclusion from potential governing talks, stating that it was “a paradox” that supporting a government including liberals was seen as disloyal, while a simple PSD government—even with conditions—was considered acceptable. Predoiu added that he would not contest any potential expulsion from PNL over the issue.
PSD’s decision comes amid ongoing exploratory talks between PNL, USR, and UDMR, which explored the possibility of a minority coalition without the Social Democrats. However, the lack of a clear parliamentary majority has left that option stalled. In this context, PNL and UDMR have indicated a willingness to allow PSD to form a government on its own, though USR remains opposed. Grindeanu confirmed that PSD negotiators would engage with other parties to draft a political agreement, but stressed that the party would not compromise its autonomy.
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