Oana Gheorghiu says President Nicușor Dan 'made a mistake' nominating Adrian Veștea as premier without PNL consultation

Interim deputy prime minister and newly elected PNL vice-president Oana Gheorghiu offered a detailed account of her entry into party politics during an 11 July 2026 appearance on Digi24, critiquing the president's handling of the prime ministerial nomination and dismissing ideological labels applied to her. The interview covered the political crisis that has gripped Romania for more than two months, her rapid decision to join the National Liberal Party, and the path forward for a party whose June congress was suspended by a court.

The nomination that triggered a party entry

Gheorghiu revealed she made the decision to formally join PNL in just two days, driven by what she viewed as an injustice. She had earlier received an invitation from Ilie Bolojan to consider membership but had intended to deliberate longer. The catalyst was the nomination of Adrian Veștea as prime minister.

I made the decision very quickly, I think in two days, because what happened in politics, the way Mr Veștea's nomination came, I saw it as an injustice and as an intrusion into this party, and it seemed to me a moment when I really had to step forward and come alongside Mr Bolojan.

The nomination followed the fall of the Bolojan government on 5 May, when a no-confidence motion backed by PSD and AUR passed with 281 votes in parliament. President Nicușor Dan's first nominee, Eugen Tomac, failed to secure a majority before Veștea was designated.

Criticism of the presidential decision

Gheorghiu argued that the president made a significant procedural misstep by naming a candidate from within PNL without first consulting the party leadership. She framed it not as malice but as a human error, possibly shaped by selective information.

I think Nicușor Dan made a mistake, probably influenced by some information he had from inside PNL. The presidency is an extremely important institution and Romania needs a credible institution. Nicușor Dan is a human being and I think that's what we need to learn: people are people, no matter what position they hold.

She added that the episode reflects a broader crisis of trust in Romania's public institutions and called for rebuilding that credibility collectively. Ilie Bolojan, the PNL president at the time, had previously labelled the Veștea designation an "act of hostility" made without party consultation.

Comparing Bolojan and Nicușor Dan

Asked whether Ilie Bolojan would have been a better president, Gheorghiu avoided a direct ranking, describing two sharply different leadership styles. She characterised Bolojan as highly pragmatic, solution-oriented, and decisive, while Nicușor Dan is more analytical and deliberative. Since Bolojan did not run for the presidency, she said the comparison remained hypothetical. On the possibility of a future Bolojan presidential bid, she stated that the two had never discussed it, noting that the government's current preoccupations are PNRR implementation and tax collection.

The no-confidence motion as a turning point

Gheorghiu described the no-confidence motion as a painful and frustrating process, in part because the text repeatedly invoked her name and a briefing note she had presented in government on listing state-owned companies on the stock exchange.

I think I heard my name four or five times mentioned in the no-confidence motion, and it was somehow frustrating and revolting at the same time, because the whole motion was a lie from beginning to end.

She argued that the motion perpetuated a false narrative that listing state companies equates to selling the country, comparing it to the misinformation that preceded the annulment of the 2024 elections.

Ideological self-description and party positioning

Responding to accusations that she and Dragoș Pîslaru are "neomarxist" influences "USR-ising" the party, Gheorghiu offered a layered reply. She stated she has never felt neomarxist, Sorosist, or progressive, though she acknowledged that her tolerance on matters of religion and personal orientation might align with some definitions of progressivism. She described herself as a builder who believes in liberal, right-wing principles and minimal state intervention in the economy, arguing that state assets are poorly managed and would perform better through public-private partnerships or stock-market listings. The party's National Political Bureau intends to convene a new congress, most likely in August or September 2026, after a court suspended the June congress decisions, including the revised statute and leadership elections. Senator Daniel Fenechiu expressed confidence that a new statute with similar provisions would be adopted.