Victor Ponta warns that party politics, not PSD, will challenge Luca Niculescu's premiership

Victor Ponta, former Romanian prime minister, evaluated the prospects of Luca Niculescu’s appointment as prime minister, calling him an honest and professional figure. He highlighted that the decisive factor will be the ability to gather sufficient parliamentary votes, not opposition from PSD. Ponta criticized the inability of PSD, PNL, UDMR and USR to place their own candidate at Palatul Victoria, framing it as a collective failure.

He noted that Niculescu is unlikely to succumb to party pressure over appointments, which may lead to a challenging relationship with the parties. Ponta added that a normal vote from PNL could allow the government to last through winter, while a fully technocratic cabinet would provoke widespread criticism. He concluded that the political maneuvering among parties, especially USR’s reluctance to leave government, will shape Niculescu’s success.