Romania's biggest party sets terms for prime minister pick Niculescu
Romania's Social Democrats say they will not give prime minister-designate Luca Niculescu a free pass. Party leader Sorin Grindeanu wants an end to austerity and is due to meet Niculescu on Thursday. Niculescu must send his cabinet to parliament by Oct. 15, and a vote is penciled in for Oct. 19.
Romania's largest party has named its price for backing the country's next government. The Social Democratic Party, or PSD, says it will not hand prime minister-designate Luca Niculescu a "blank vote."
PSD leader Sorin Grindeanu said the party's "red line" is an end to austerity, RO Times reported. If the new cabinet keeps the belt-tightening of recent governments, he warned, PSD will not support it. That could push Romania toward early elections.
"We want to see if there is a real desire on the part of the designated prime minister to decouple Romania from the bankrupt policies of Bolojan or the PNL-USR," Grindeanu said, Mediafax reported. Ilie Bolojan is the interim prime minister.
Grindeanu and Niculescu have spoken by phone and are set to meet on Thursday, Mediafax said, citing political sources. The PSD does not want to talk about who gets which ministries at that first meeting. It wants to talk about the program. Sources also told Mediafax the PSD is expected to join the government, but fears voters will blame it for hard choices ahead.
The party was let down that President Nicușor Dan did not pick one of its own. Grindeanu himself had been proposed. Still, he called Niculescu a balanced professional and pointed to his work with the OECD, the club of rich democracies Romania is trying to join.
Niculescu, a diplomat, was named on Tuesday. Under the constitution, he has 10 days to send parliament his program and list of ministers. Mediafax put that deadline at Thursday, Oct. 15. PSD and National Liberal Party sources told the newspaper Libertatea that the confidence vote is planned for Monday, Oct. 19, PS News reported. Niculescu needs at least 233 votes from deputies and senators combined.
In his first public remarks, Niculescu said parties had worked together on more than 100 reforms needed for OECD entry. He said he hoped for the same openness now "around a realistic program."
What we know: PSD wants an end to austerity before it backs the cabinet.
What we don't: Whether Thursday's talks produce a deal, and who will fill the ministries.
Where outlets agree RO Times and Mediafax both report that PSD leader Sorin Grindeanu has made ending austerity his party's red line for backing Niculescu.
Where they differ Mediafax sources say PSD is expected to join the government, but the party has not publicly committed and says it fears taking the blame for tough measures.