Traian Băsescu defends president Nicușor Dan's nomination of Adrian Veștea as premier, calls on PNL to show maturity

A crisis without a government

Romania has entered its seventh week without a functioning executive, a deadlock former president Traian Băsescu says has pushed President Nicușor Dan to the limit. The country risks losing European recovery funds, and the prolonged impasse prompted Dan to nominate Adrian Veștea, a first vice-president of the National Liberal Party (PNL), for the premiership. Băsescu, who spoke to Digi24 and România TV on Sunday evening, described the nomination as constitutionally sound but accompanied by a communication misstep.

He did not err constitutionally, only in terms of interpersonal relations. He could have called Bolojan and told him: 'Look, because you gave me no prime-ministerial solution during consultations, and because the one I first designated cannot form a majority, I have decided to designate Mr Veștea from the liberals.' Whether you agree or not, it's my prerogative. I called to inform you.

The failed independent experiment

Băsescu pointed to an earlier tactical error by the president, who initially tried to install an independent premier. That attempt never gathered enough parliamentary backing, a scenario Băsescu says was foreseeable. He argued that substituting party-backed candidates with independent figures would not resolve Romania's need for a stable government, adding that the first designation had misled the public.

They lied to the Romanians. You can say it's fine when you are paid to say it, but the attempt to bring surrogate prime ministers will not give Romania a government.

The blame on the parties

In Băsescu's view, the real obstruction came from the political parties themselves. During multiple rounds of official and informal consultations, none formally submitted a nominee for prime minister. He accused the leaders of pursuing narrow interests at the expense of national stability, using the absence of a cabinet as leverage over local budgets and patronage networks.

The parties behaved unconsciously and anti-nationally. They do not care that the country has no government and is entering very high risks; they care about their own interests: how much money goes to local administrations, to their political clientele. They simply despise Romania's interest.

What happens next

Băsescu believes the Veștea cabinet has a real chance of passing parliament provided his own party, the PNL, rallies behind the nominee. He called on PNL chairman Ilie Bolojan to prevent a split inside the party and to support the investiture vote, which could take place as early as next week. The former president noted that the Social Democratic Party (PSD) alone cannot form a credible government with the remaining parliamentary groupings.

If the liberals help the Veștea government, it will pass. Bolojan must show maturity and not let the party break apart. The most important thing is that we have no government.

Risks of escalation

Băsescu did not rule out a move by irresponsible politicians to launch a suspension procedure against Nicușor Dan. He described such a scenario as a sign of the arrogance dominating a political class that would rather see both the presidency and the premiership vacant than accept a constitutionally valid decision.

Knowing how irresponsible today's politicians are, I expect exactly that. I would not be surprised if they initiate a suspension so that we end up with neither a prime minister nor a president. It is hard to see so much arrogance from a bunch of nobodies.