Romania’s Mureșan names cabinet as parliamentary support remains uncertain
Romania’s prime minister-designate Siegfried Mureșan has unveiled the proposed composition of his government, backed by the National Liberal Party (PNL), the Save Romania Union (USR) and the Democratic Alliance of Hungarians in Romania (UDMR), as he prepares to seek parliamentary approval next week.
Romania has been without a fully empowered government since May, when Prime Minister Ilie Bolojan’s coalition was toppled in a no-confidence vote after the Social Democratic Party (PSD) left the governing coalition. President Nicușor Dan subsequently made two attempts to appoint a prime minister. His first choice, Eugen Tomac, withdrew after failing to secure sufficient parliamentary support. Dan then nominated Liberal politician Adrian Veștea, whose proposed government was rejected by parliament on 22 June, receiving 189 votes in favour – well short of the 233 needed. Veștea’s own National Liberal Party (PNL) had refused to support his government, while the far-right Alliance for the Union of Romanians (AUR) also opposed it.
Mureșan presented his governing programme to President Nicușor Dan on Friday during a meeting at the Cotroceni Palace, but stressed that securing the votes needed to install the government was his responsibility and that of the three parties supporting his nomination.
The prime minister-designate said he had not asked Dan to publicly support the government, arguing that the president had already fulfilled his constitutional role by nominating him.
“I believe that we must have respect for institutions,” Mureșan said when asked whether the president had promised to help secure the votes needed for the government’s investiture.
The three parties supporting Mureșan have around 170 seats in parliament, below the 233 votes required for approval of the government. The prime minister-designate has therefore faced the task of securing additional support from other lawmakers.
Mureșan has ruled out negotiations with the Alliance for the Union of Romanians (AUR). Talks with the Social Democratic Party (PSD) have also so far failed to produce an agreement. Mureșan said he was willing to discuss the government programme with PSD leader Sorin Grindeanu, but the prime minister-designate did not attend a meeting at the party headquarters after Grindeanu invited him.
The PSD is expected to decide its position at the beginning of next week.
Against this backdrop, Mureșan has sought to present a government structure agreed by the three parties. He said the cabinet would have three deputy prime ministers, one from each of the coalition parties, with each also holding a ministerial portfolio.
“There will no longer be deputy prime ministers who do nothing, who only take orders from the parties. Each one will lead a ministry and will have work to do,” Mureșan said.
The proposed deputy prime ministers are Mircea Abrudean of PNL, who is set to take over the Interior Ministry; Radu Miruță of USR, who is proposed as defence minister; and Tánczos Barna of UDMR, who is proposed as agriculture minister.
The cabinet also includes several prominent figures from the three parties. USR has proposed Diana Buzoianu as environment minister, Cătălin Drulă as transport minister, Oana Țoiu as foreign minister and Irineu Darău as economy minister.
Andreea Chiș, a former judge, is proposed as an independent justice minister. The education portfolio is being considered for Mihai Dimian or Ștefan Pălărie, while Alexandru Nazare or Gabriela Horga are proposed for finance.
PNL’s proposed ministers also include Dragoș Pîslaru for investments and European projects, Oana Gheorghiu for health, Sebastian Burduja for energy and Raluca Turcan for labour.
UDMR is set to take the Development Ministry through Cseke Attila and the Culture Ministry through Lorand Turos, alongside Tánczos Barna at Agriculture.
The proposed cabinet also includes Dan Resitnec as head of the General Secretariat of the Government.
Mureșan said the final government programme and the full list of ministers would be submitted to parliament on Saturday. He said he hoped parliamentary hearings would take place on Monday and Tuesday, with the investiture vote scheduled for Tuesday afternoon or Wednesday.
The prime minister-designate met Dan after spending the past week working with PNL, USR and UDMR on the cabinet and government programme. He had previously said that he wanted to meet the president once Dan returned to the country in order to present the results of those negotiations.
Mureșan also left open the question of whether interim Prime Minister Ilie Bolojan would have a role in the new government, refusing to confirm or deny reports that he could become one of the deputy prime ministers.
“I greatly appreciate the good things he has done in Romania,” Mureșan said of Bolojan, adding that he expected him to continue contributing to the country “regardless of the position he occupies in the Romanian state”.
Caption: Romania’s Prime Minister-designate Siegfried Muresan answers questions during a news conference at the Parliament Palace in Bucharest, Romania, 23 September 2026. Nominated by President Nicusor Dan following political consultations, Muresan announced a proposed cabinet featuring three deputy prime ministers ahead of a confidence vote in Parliament scheduled for 29 September. EPA/ROBERT GHEMENT
Sources: EUalive’s partners Espress.ro and BGNES, adevarul.ro, digi24.ro, hotnews.ro