Romania's President Nominates MEP Siegfried Muresan as Prime Minister

Romanian President Nicusor Dan nominated Siegfried Muresan, a member of the European Parliament, to serve as prime minister on Thursday, in a fresh attempt to resolve a political impasse that has left the country without a full government for months.

Muresan, 44, belongs to the centre-right National Liberal Party, or PNL. Announcing the decision at the Cotroceni Palace in Bucharest, Dan said the nomination followed hundreds of hours of talks with political parties since the government was dismissed more than four months ago.

"Romania needs a government," the president said, adding that he had chosen the candidate who secured the most support during the day's consultations. He acknowledged, however, that no clear majority had emerged despite the prolonged discussions.

Muresan said shortly afterwards in a Facebook post that he accepted the president's proposal. Under the process, he now has ten days to present a cabinet to Parliament.

Dan pointed to Muresan's experience in the European Parliament as a qualification for the role. Muresan has been an MEP since 2014 and serves as vice chair of the European People's Party group. He studied at Bucharest's Academy of Economic Studies between 2000 and 2004 before completing a master's programme in economics and management science at Humboldt University in Berlin, and previously worked as an adviser to the EPP.

The vacancy at the top of the government stems from a no-confidence vote that removed Prime Minister Ilie Bolojan in May. Bolojan had taken office in June 2025 with a mandate to curb the budget deficit, but clashed repeatedly with the Social Democratic Party, or PSD, over austerity measures. The motion against him was tabled by the PSD, a coalition partner, and the nationalist opposition Alliance for the Unity of Romanians. He has continued as interim prime minister since.

Dan had made two earlier nominations in June. Adrian Vestea's proposed government was rejected by Parliament, while Eugen Tomac withdrew before a vote could be held.

The latest nomination drew a sharp response from the opposition. PSD leader Sorin Grindeanu said he had noted the choice with "surprise and disappointment" and called a meeting of the party's National Permanent Bureau for Monday to examine the proposal. He described the reasoning behind the president's decision as difficult to understand, adding that Romania was in an extremely difficult situation.

Cristian Andrei, a Bucharest-based political consultant, said Muresan's nomination was unlikely to produce a majority among Romania's pro-European parties and predicted further political stalemate. He suggested the move could open the door to future cooperation between the Social Democrats and populist parties, and that the president was placing responsibility on the political parties for failing to build a majority.

Under a power-sharing arrangement, the premiership had been due to rotate in 2027 from Bolojan to a PSD prime minister. A general election is scheduled for 2028.