Romania: President Dan tasks MEP Tomac with forming a government

The background to the government formation is the fall of Prime Minister Ilie Bolojan's (PNL) coalition government through a vote of no confidence about a month ago. The no-confidence vote was supported by a de facto majority from the post-communist PSD and the right-wing populist AUR.

Since the fall, President Dan has held several rounds of consultations with the parliamentary factions, without a new majority emerging. The factions are deeply divided, according to descriptions from Bucharest.

Blocked majorities in parliament

The Liberals (PNL) and the reform party USR rule out participation in or tolerance of a government with the PSD. The Hungarian minority party UDMR also rejects a coalition with the right-wing camp and does not want to support a minority government that would depend on the votes of the AUR in parliament.

The PSD, in turn, has so far shown no willingness to take governmental responsibility itself, nor to tolerate a minority government. President Dan states that he is maintaining a firewall against the extreme right.

Tomac is the leader of the extra-parliamentary small party PMP, founded by Traian Băsescu, the former Romanian head of state. Tomac is considered Băsescu's political protégé. He was born in the Izmail Raion in the Ukrainian Oblast of Odessa.

Timeline and presidential options

Should Tomac return the mandate after the ten-day period expires, President Dan can assign the task of forming a government one more time. If parliament rejects two designated prime ministers and their governments, the president can call early elections.

Early parliamentary elections would be unprecedented in Romania's post-communist history. The constitution provides for this step as a last resort if no governable majority can be found.

Possible consequences: Early elections

Observers in Bucharest interpret Tomac's appointment as an attempt by the president to enable a non-partisan, issue-oriented solution beyond the deadlocked constellation between the PSD, PNL, USR, and AUR. Whether this model has a chance in parliament is currently considered open.

The coming days should show whether Tomac can find a viable basis of confidence for his cabinet in consultations with the factions. Otherwise, the scenario of early elections, provided for in the Romanian constitutional order as a last resort, moves closer.