A PSD leader says that the new government will “crystallize” faster than thought and indicates the first option with which the party goes to Cotroceni

Next week may prove decisive for the formation of a new government, says the leader of the PSD senators, Daniel Zamfir, according to whom the political negotiations are approaching a point of clarification.

The social democrats say they are prepared for all scenarios, but they prefer the installation of a political government with parliamentary support, without excluding the option of a technocrat prime minister.

“There is life beyond Bolojan”

“Let's see what will happen after the negotiations in Cotroceni. I have found one thing, that the neo-Marxist reformist pole has only one objective, there is one man, Ilie Bolojan, around whom the entire political scene revolves. That's what they think. We believe that there is life, and especially governance, and beyond Ilie Bolojan,” Zamfir declared on Monday, at the Senate.

“Next week I have every confidence that a majority and a government that can govern Romania will crystallize because we are already on an extremely bad path in terms of the economic situation. Let's see what the Romanian president's proposal is in the end, because his lordship has the attribute of nominating the prime minister. I said that we do not rule out this option, but it is not our first option. I think that a majority can be released with a political prime minister,” said the senators' leader social democrats, according to Agerpres.

Grindeanu, PSD's first choice for the head of the Government

He explained that the PSD goes to negotiations with all the options on the table, but the political formula remains a priority.

“During the negotiations, the PSD goes with all the options on the table, the first option is to have a government in which the current parties that have composed the coalition so far are part, but the option of a minority government is not excluded either. The technocrat prime minister is not an option to be excluded, but the first option is not a desirable one. It is obvious to have a political government with parliamentary support. Sorin Grindeanu is the president of the PSD and he is the first option to occupy the position of prime minister, but we do not exclude him as the prime minister to come from other areas, including a technocrat prime minister, if a quick agreement is not reached”, Daniel Zamfir also said.

“An economic profile is desirable, because here we had a prime minister, Ilie Bolojan, who demonstrated that the economy is very deficient, that's why we are in the serious situation we are in now. Inflation has doubled, the purchasing power of Romanians has decreased, the economy is in an accelerated downward trend and this was also the reason why we decided to replace Ilie Bolojan, precisely to change Romania's direction”, Zamfir said.

PNL option “doomed to failure”

Asked about the PNL opposition for a minority government, Zamfir answered: “I don't know any other position of the PNL than to support Ilie Bolojan as prime minister, an option which, from our point of view, is an excluded one. Their intention to propose Ilie Bolojan as prime minister again is clearly doomed to failure.

“I don't think anyone imagines that a prime minister who was dismissed with 281 votes last week will be able to be re-invested next week by the Parliament. So, the option is doomed to failure. I believe, further, that we can release a majority together that will be able to give a political prime minister”, said the leader of the PSD senators.

Grindeanu considers the scenario of a PSD-UDMR minority government

Sorin Grindeanu, the president of the PSD, said on Monday that a minority government formed around his formation and the UDMR is not one the party wants, but it is a scenario that can be taken into account at the moment.

“It is not an option that I would like. Even if PSD is the one that forms that minority government or there are others. It seems at this moment that it is a scenario that can be taken into account. We will see (not those from PSD) and we will see what the president will say”, declared Sorin Grindeanu, after discussions with several ambassadors.

HotNews reported on Saturday, citing consistent political sources, that if the PSD does not convince a part of the PNL to join a new coalition, then Nicușor Dan has no other solution but to try a PSD-UDMR minority government.

PSD and UDMR together have 160 MPs, far below the threshold of 233 votes needed to inaugurate the future government. A Government formed by PSD, UDMR, the National Minorities group with the support of small parliamentary groups, such as POT, SOS or PACE, can collect 241 votes.

In the statement given to the media on Monday, Grindeanu emphasized that the PSD is not rushing things in the negotiations for the future government. “Even if we stay for another week, finding a stable option is preferable to a quick one,” said the PSD president.

Asked if he will personally take over the leadership of the future government, he stated that this decision must be made “within a wider framework of the party”, but he does not rule it out.

During the day, Grindeanu also discussed with the leader of the UDMR, and at the end of the meeting Kelemen Hunor said that, from his point of view, at this moment “the only option by which something can be done” would be to restore the PSD-PNL-USR and UDMR coalition.

“I want the restoration of the coalition. It's the only option at this moment by which you can do something. (…) The nomination (no. of prime minister) will come from the president of Romania, this ball is in Nicușor Dan's court”, said Kelemen Hunor.

When will Nicușor Dan call the parties to official consultations

President Nicusor Dan will call the parties to official consultations at the end of this week, on Thursday or Friday, after the B9 Summit in Bucharest, political sources told HotNews.

At the moment, all the scenarios are on the president's table, whether it is about restoring the coalition, a minority government formed by PSD, UDMR and the National Minorities or by PNL, USR and UDMR. The option of a technocratic government is also taken into account. However, the scenario that Ilie Bolojan is appointed again by the president is not analyzed for the moment.

In addition, according to HotNews information, Nicușor Dan will not appoint a prime minister if he is not sure that he will gather the necessary votes to pass the vote of confidence test in Parliament, even if that would mean extending the discussions and the interim of Ilie Bolojan.

Official sources explained to HotNews that the head of state will impose some conditions, a “roadmap” for the future Government, regardless of the solution found after the consultations. For example, in the speech delivered on Saturday, on the occasion of Europe Day, Nicușor Dan said that the future Executive will have the objective of defining the budget for next year by autumn.