Nicușor Dan defends Veștea nomination for prime minister, says no party offered a majority in six weeks

Six weeks without a majority

The Romanian government led by Ilie Bolojan fell six weeks ago after a no-confidence motion initiated by PSD and AUR, supported by 281 MPs, the largest number for such a vote in the country's history. Since then, according to President Nicușor Dan, no political party has presented a viable majority formula. Speaking at the European Council in Brussels on Friday, Dan said, "No party came to the president to say: following our discussions, a majority is taking shape." He added that the government "shouldn't have fallen" but refused to assign blame.

Why the president chose Adrian Veștea

Dan defended his June 14 decision to nominate Adrian Veștea, a member of the National Liberal Party (PNL), for the premiership. He listed Veștea’s experience with budgets and EU funds, his ability to navigate the political environment without creating crises, and his solid electoral record.

“Mr. Veștea has many qualities that recommend him. He has worked with budgets, he has worked with EU funds, and he has had the ability to navigate the political environment without creating crises.”

The president also stressed that for a politician, "the only grade is the one people give you," noting that Veștea had won several elections decisively.

PNL leader calls move 'an hostile act'

The nomination was made without prior consultation with the PNL leadership, drawing sharp criticism from party president Ilie Bolojan. He described the decision as 

“an hostile act.”

Dan justified his approach by citing his constitutional prerogative: "My constitutional attribute is to nominate. Between the moment I nominate and the moment the government passes or not, any declaration on this process could be considered an unconstitutional intervention."

A failed first attempt

This is the second attempt to break the deadlock. Dan previously tried a different candidate, Eugen Tomac, but his nomination failed because the expected majority did not materialise.

“I don’t play party games. That is not my mandate. My mandate is to maintain the pro‑Western direction and to avoid a sudden economic collapse.”

What comes next

Veștea must now secure the support of a parliamentary majority to form a government, while the PNL is convening an emergency leadership meeting in Bucharest and has scheduled an extraordinary congress for Sunday, June 21. Dan reiterated that his two overarching criteria for any prime minister are to preserve Romania’s pro-Western orientation and to ensure financial stability.