Kelemen Hunor calls backing Tomac cabinet 'political masochism' as Romania's government talks stall
UDMR president Kelemen Hunor said on Tuesday evening that voting for prime minister-designate Eugen Tomac's proposed technocratic government would be 'political masochism,' deepening the uncertainty over Romania's next executive.
No arguments to support
UDMR president Kelemen Hunor stated on Tuesday evening that his party has not yet made a formal decision on supporting Eugen Tomac's cabinet, but currently lacks arguments to do so. Speaking to TVR Info, Hunor said Tomac has no government programme at this stage and does not appear to be aiming for anything very ambitious.
We don't have arguments to support this government, but we haven't made the formal decision. Mr Tomac doesn't have a government programme right now and doesn't think he should come up with something very ambitious.
Hunor described the situation as extraordinary: a technocratic government led by a politician, without a parliamentary majority. He said that without a majority at the time of the vote, even the most sophisticated plans are useless.
'Political masochism'
The UDMR leader used sharp language to explain why his party cannot back the proposed cabinet. He noted that the previous government, in which UDMR participated, was brought down by a no-confidence motion, and voting for a new government alongside those who initiated that motion makes no political sense.
It would be political masochism to vote for a government I'm not part of, after the government I was part of was brought down, and to vote for it with those who brought down the government.
Hunor promised only that UDMR would not vote against a government, but could not promise to vote in favour. He said he would speak with Tomac again once a governing programme is presented.
Technocrats and parliamentary democracy
Hunor criticised the concept of a politician leading a technocratic cabinet, calling it an attempt to bypass parliament and govern without it. He argued that in a parliamentary democracy, the government needs parliamentary support.
From our point of view, it's an attempt to avoid parliament, to govern without parliament. That means putting parliamentary democracy in brackets. Which is not okay.
He added that a technocratic prime minister with a political government, or a fully technocratic setup, would be a different approach. As things stand, Hunor said Tomac would have to go through parliament with a lantern searching for votes on every bill and emergency ordinance.
A lonely man searching for a majority
Hunor shared his personal impression of the prime minister-designate after their meeting. He described Tomac as a solitary figure trying to find support for a technocratic government.
I had the impression that he's a lonely man, searching for a majority for a technocratic government. Seriously, that's what it seemed to me: a solitary man who goes around trying to find support for a government.
Hunor also noted that he saw a partial cabinet list with unfilled positions, suggesting the government would include people without political experience. He said he did not understand the selection criteria.
The path forward
Hunor expressed a preference for a political government, ideally formed by the parties that made up the former ruling coalition, by the end of June. He said parties that asked citizens for their votes assumed the responsibility of governing and should now deliver.
The electoral process cannot be moved elsewhere. We need a political government. With whom? How? With what votes? I don't know. That's what needs to be discussed.
He suggested that a minority government could work if backed by a transparent, written parliamentary agreement on specific policy points. Hunor also insisted that any MPs voting for the Tomac cabinet should commit in writing to supporting its legislative projects afterwards, warning that a vote followed by immediate retreat into opposition is not a solution.
