President Dan pushes Eugen Tomac as premier amid coalition deadlock
Romanian President Nicușor Dan prepares to appoint a new prime minister amid sharp political warnings and mounting pressure from coalition parties. Sources close to the presidency indicate Dan favors designating his presidential adviser, Eugen Tomac, as premier to break the deadlock following the collapse of the Bolojan government in a no-confidence vote, according to *Digi24* .
Former President Traian Băsescu has publicly denounced the formation process as a "trap," accusing the ruling Social Democratic Party (PSD) and National Liberal Party (PNL) of orchestrating a political maneuver to undermine Dan’s authority. Băsescu, who previously led a government under similar circumstances, warned on social media that any administration emerging from these negotiations would be "a president’s government in name only," lacking genuine independence . His intervention follows PSD and PNL’s refusal to back a technocratic cabinet, instead pushing for a coalition-led executive.
Tomac, a europarliamentarian and president of the People’s Movement Party (PMP), has emerged as Dan’s preferred candidate due to his perceived neutrality and long-standing ties to the president. A former ally of Dan during his 2024 presidential campaign, Tomac has built his political career around diaspora issues and Moldova’s European integration. However, his potential nomination faces resistance from the PNL, which has signaled it will not support any government "openly or covertly backed by PSD," according to Siegfried Mureșan, a PNL MEP. Mureșan criticized the prospect of Dan appointing a close associate, calling it evidence of "a lack of solutions" and a direct consequence of PSD’s strategy to corner the president .
The standoff reflects broader tensions within Romania’s fragmented parliament, where no single party holds a majority. Dan’s options are further constrained by constitutional deadlines; if he fails to secure parliamentary approval for a new government within 60 days of the Bolojan cabinet’s dismissal, early elections become inevitable. Analysts suggest the president may bypass formal consultations with parties to expedite Tomac’s nomination, though such a move risks deepening the rift with PSD and PNL.
Background: The current crisis erupted on May 10, 2026, when a no-confidence motion against Prime Minister Sorin Bolojan’s minority government passed with 238 votes, well above the required 233. Bolojan, a PNL nominee, had governed with tacit PSD support since January but lost backing after clashing with the social democrats over fiscal policy. The collapse leaves Romania without a fully functional executive for the third time in five years, raising concerns about stalled reforms and EU funding delays.
President Dan pushes Eugen Tomac as premier amid coalition deadlock



