PSD Secretary General Claudiu Manda rejects supporting Siegfried Mureșan government

Opposition to Mureșan's designation

PSD Secretary General Claudiu Manda stated on Sunday, 20 September 2026, that he will vote against backing the government proposed by Prime Minister-designate Siegfried Mureșan. Speaking on Antena 3 CNN, Manda said that recent statements by the National Liberal Party (PNL) politician indicate Mureșan does not actually want the parliamentary support of the Social Democratic Party (PSD). President Nicușor Dan designated Mureșan, an MEP supported by the PNL-USR-UDMR coalition, on Thursday, 17 September 2026. Manda rejected claims from the liberal camp that PSD is not pro-European, pointing out that Romania's current European Commissioner comes from PSD ranks. He argued that Mureșan has maintained an antagonistic posture toward the Social Democrats while seeking to form a governing majority.

I believe, first of all, that Mr. Siegfried, with such statements, does not even want to be voted prime minister.

Criticisms of the Bolojan agenda

Manda argued that Mureșan represents a direct continuation of the fiscal and administrative trajectory set by dismissed Prime Minister Ilie Bolojan. The PSD secretary general described Mureșan as another Bolojan, somewhat younger, who continues an economic agenda focused exclusively on budget cuts and tax increases. Manda noted that PSD participated in removing Bolojan from office precisely to end those policies. According to Manda, Bolojan had stayed in government for four months through an unannounced arrangement with George Simion, after a previous opportunity to invest a government led by Adrian Veștea had failed. Manda asserted that if Mureșan does not abandon Bolojan's governance approach, dialogue between the two sides makes little sense.

If he keeps this direction, I do not even think he should look for us.

Party resolution and coalition arithmetic

PSD previously adopted an internal party resolution stating that it will not vote for any government in which it is not an executive partner. Manda indicated that he does not expect the party to reverse this stance during its upcoming leadership deliberations. The Social Democrats had anticipated that the president would designate either a PSD candidate or a neutral technocrat around whom PSD could build a cabinet. In the Romanian Parliament, an incoming government requires 233 votes for investiture. When asked how an alternative majority could form around PSD, Manda suggested assembling a coalition comprising PSD, national minorities, and individual lawmakers from PNL and USR.

Upcoming leadership vote

The PSD National Standing Bureau (Biroul Permanent Național) meets on Monday, 21 September 2026, at 11:00 to formalize its official stance on Mureșan's nomination. Manda confirmed that he holds a vote within the bureau and will cast it to reject supporting the designated cabinet. While internal debates will take place as standard party procedure, Manda reiterated that any formal outreach must begin with an explicit meeting request from Mureșan to PSD parliamentary groups. Without substantial alterations to the government program and economic priorities, PSD leadership remains positioned against approving the PNL-led administration.