PSD sets conditions for Luca Niculescu's government as early elections loom after 160 days

Conditions for backing the Niculescu government

On Monday, 12 October 2026, Sorin Grindeanu, president of the Social Democratic Party (PSD), said the party would back the government of prime minister-designate Luca Niculescu only if it secures a parliamentary majority together with the National Liberal Party (PNL) and the Democratic Alliance of Hungarians in Romania (UDMR). Niculescu is the fourth designation made by President Nicușor Dan, who had expected a fourth attempt to end the crisis. The articles count 160 days since the Bolojan government was ousted in early May, and the deadlock is still unresolved.

PSD sets a second condition: a programme that changes the economic direction and corrects measures that hit people's incomes. Party sources told reporters that PSD rejects a cabinet of technocrat ministers and a single-colour government in which PSD would act only as a pillar. Grindeanu insisted that Niculescu is not the party's candidate.

Luca Niculescu is not the PSD prime minister, he is independent. We are asking for a joint effort of all responsible parties.

Early elections move onto the agenda

The PSD Permanent National Bureau met on Monday and voted to set up a commission to analyse electoral legislation, which will be led by former vice-premier Marian Neacșu. Grindeanu told the press conference that the early elections scenario 'seems to be an increasingly real scenario' given the political disagreements. He added that it is not a desirable outcome but could become unavoidable in the coming period.

Grindeanu said that without a PSD-PNL-UDMR majority for the Niculescu cabinet, early elections would follow. Claudiu Manda, PSD secretary general, opened the discussion of early elections at the party meeting. Libertatea reports that PSD leaders are divided on the question. Many do not expect it to come to early elections, while others do not rule it out given the unpredictability of President Nicușor Dan. Grindeanu proposed that the parties meet and evaluate in March or April whether it is worth continuing.

Manda wrote on Facebook that PSD must be prepared for early elections, which he said are not the answer Romania needs.

Early elections are not the scenario Romania needs. But they can become a reality if the same man who has been blocking the formation of a government for five months continues to be more concerned with party interests than with people's problems.

Bolojan and the Liberal response

Former prime minister Ilie Bolojan, who leads the PNL, rejected PSD's requests to join the government. Mediafax reports that he said PSD's wish to restore the coalition was aimed at avoiding political accountability for the crisis caused by the government's ouster in early May.

PSD has shown that it needs partners rather to have someone to blame.

Manda answered Bolojan's ironies about PSD's proposals, in particular the reference to the 'horn of plenty' (cornul abundenței). He said Bolojan should focus on finding economic solutions after the austerity measures demanded from the population. Raluca Turcan, a PNL deputy, wrote that PSD and AUR had the majority to topple the government but lacked the will and solutions to form another. She said that failing to adopt the salary law cost Romania 770 million euros in EU funds under the national recovery plan, and that the Bolojan government had brought the deficit down to 7.9% of GDP.

UDMR and the search for a majority

Grindeanu said he was convinced that UDMR would join the government if PSD and PNL take part in a cabinet formed by Luca Niculescu. He cited UDMR president Kelemen Hunor, who said his party would enter a PSD-PNL-UDMR government but not a PSD-UDMR one. Hunor has said there is currently no appetite within the party to enter government. Grindeanu described UDMR as a committed party, and at the same press conference accused the PNL of running away from responsibility.

What happens next

Niculescu visited the USR headquarters on Monday and met its leadership. Libertatea reported that the level of support he gathers by the end of Monday would be the next signal, and that he could be advised to step back. The PSD commission on electoral legislation is now set to examine the rules for early elections, while the party's conditions for joining a Niculescu government remain in place.