Romania's new president nominates center-right former mayor as prime minister

San Francisco Chronicle​

4 hours ago

BUCHAREST, Romania (AP) — Romania's new pro-Western president on Friday nominated a center-right former mayor to be prime minister, as the European Union and NATO member state seeks to usher in a new government to end a protracted political crisis that has gripped the nation since last year.
President Nicusor Dan nominated 56-year-old Ilie Bolojan of the center-right National Liberal Party, or PNL, after a fresh round of talks Friday following weeks of deliberations.
Bolojan previously served as acting president between February and May, when Dan decisively beat a hard-right opponent in a heated presidential election rerun. That closely watched vote came months after the previous election was annulled by a top court, which plunged Romania into a deep political crisis.
At the presidential Cotroceni Palace in the capital Bucharest, Dan said Bolojan is the 'most suitable person" for the job, which includes tackling a budget crisis.
'It is in Romania's interest for the Government to be supported by a solid majority, and the parties have understood this,' Dan said. 'Romania's urgent priority is economic recovery, but ... you need a solid foundation."
The president's nomination will need to be approved by lawmakers.
A new government is expected to be comprised of the leftist Social Democratic Party, or PSD, the PNL, the reformist Save Romania Union party, and the small ethnic Hungarian UDMR party. The PSD has pushed for a power-sharing agreement that would see a rotation of the prime ministerial post.
After he was nominated, Bolojan said he's 'fully aware of the great responsibility' the role will bring, and acknowledged it 'will not be an easy undertaking.'
'I will continue discussions with political parties to secure a parliamentary majority, finalize the government, and define the governing program,' he said. 'I will pursue three priorities: to restore order to the country's finances, to work toward good governance that creates conditions for development in Romania, and ... to show proper respect to the Romanian people."
One of the biggest issues a new government will face is how to reduce Romania's large budget deficit, one of the highest in the 27-nation EU bloc. The presidential election furore also exposed deep societal divisions in the country.
Cristian Andrei, a Bucharest-based political consultant, says that a new government will face the challenge of reaching a longer-term consensus over already delayed state reforms.
'There is only a disputed agreement on very short-term measures, for the economic and budget crisis," he told The Associated Press. 'If the short-term measures come with a social cost, inflation ... (and) will not be met by profound changes in policies and institutions, then the political crisis will loom over the next years and (future) elections.'
After the first round of the May presidential vote, Bolojan, as acting president, appointed Catalin Predoiu of the PNL to helm the government, following the resignation of Marcel Ciolacu, who stepped down after his coalition's candidate failed to make the runoff.