PSD leader vows no pact with AUR as Romania forms new coalition government
Romania ended a five-month political deadlock by appointing independent Luca Niculescu as prime minister, while PSD chief Sorin Grindeanu pledged to keep the party out of any agreement with the far-right AUR.
Romania broke a five-month stalemate when lawmakers confirmed Luca Niculescu, an independent former journalist and diplomat, as prime minister, following three unsuccessful government-formation attempts. The deal gives PSD a place in the cabinet while leaving centre-right PNL out, and is intended to stave off snap elections that might increase backing for the nationalist AUR. PSD leader Sorin Grindeanu announced that his party will not enter any pact with AUR, emphasizing divergent views on EU integration and national security.
Over the next six months, PSD plans to draft a 2027 budget that prioritises investment, protects purchasing power, and expands public services, rejecting austerity measures. Grindeanu also aims to revise the 2026 budget by the end of October and speed up the rollout of EU-funded projects. The coalition’s six-month term will require constant parliamentary support, as the constitution allows dissolution only after two failed investiture votes.
Why it matters
The new government shapes Romania's economic direction and its stance toward far-right forces ahead of upcoming elections.
How the sides frame it
LOW AGREEMENTLeft-leaning coverage stresses the fragility of the technocratic coalition, the far-right AUR’s influence and economic challenges, while centrist coverage highlights the PSD leader’s pledge not to pact with AUR, the aim to avoid snap elections and the government’s investment-focused budget plans.
LEFT
The new cabinet is a fragile, technocratic coalition vulnerable to far-right influence and economic strain.
CENTER
PSD vows to keep AUR out of any pact, positioning the coalition as a safeguard against snap elections and outlining a pro-investment, anti-austerity agenda.
The left emphasises
- forced truce
- far-right AUR poised to influence policy
- budget deficit near 4 % of GDP, inflation above 10 %
How this story developed
- Oct 20 Romanian Parliament Grants Confidence to Luca Niculescu, Forming Fourth Attempted Government
- Oct 20 Parliament granted confidence to Niculescu's cabinet, ending the 168‑day crisis.
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