The co-governing post-communists removed Ilie from the liberal prime minister
Bolojan’s trust. The structural reforms that were initiated would have “impoverished” the people. President Nicusor Dan is now looking for a new government coalition.
Romania’s government coalition consisting of the post-communists (PSD), liberals (PNL), reform party USR and Hungarian Association (UDMR) has collapsed. The post-communists withdrew their confidence in the liberal head of government Ilie Bolojan on Monday because of his reforms and austerity measures, after an internal party survey showed an overwhelming majority in favor of his departure. President Nicusor Dan is now looking for new coalition variants.
The PSD cited the structural reforms and austerity measures initiated by Bolojan as the reason for its move, which had “impoverished the people”. However, these had become unavoidable after the previous cabinet of ex-government and PSD leader Marcel Ciolacu had relied on an unparalleled windfall for numerous categories of voters in the 2024 election year, thereby running a record deficit of 9.3 percent of gross domestic product (GDP).
After Ciolacu’s resignation in May 2025, the PSD preferred to let someone else take the chestnuts out of the fire – the new coalition suggested Liberal leader Ilie Bolojan, known as a tough reformer, to the then newly elected President Nicusor Dan.
Prime Minister Bolojan himself sees another reason for the conflict with the post-communists – namely because he has “dismantled privileges and networks”. What the PSD obviously wants is “a puppet as head of government and a subservient PNL,” Bolojan recently made clear.
The PSD leadership also gave the prime minister an ultimatum on Monday evening: If he did not resign within 72 hours, his own ministers would be withdrawn from his cabinet. Bolojan, however, refuses to resign from office – he is ready to continue with a minority government. However, neither the PSD nor the opposition ultra-right AUR are willing to tolerate a minority cabinet – both parties are therefore threatening motions of no confidence against Bolojan and his remaining cabinet.
In an initial reaction, President Nicusor Dan spoke of “political turbulence”: The positions of the previous coalition partners PSD and PNL were “clearly irreconcilable”, but he wanted to use “consultations and rounds of negotiations” to try to find a “formula for a pro-European government” – which, however, was difficult because “two factions, without which there is no majority, represent completely different points of view”. Romania’s head of state ruled out any possible government participation by the ultra-right opposition factions. (APA)
