BUCHAREST (Reuters) – Romania’s centrist Liberal Party has asked President Klaus Iohannis to nominate a four-star retired army general, Nicolae Ciuca, for prime minister in a bid to end a political stalemate at a time of rising COVID-19 infections.
Romania, one of the European Union’s poorest members, has been in political paralysis since the Liberal-led Cabinet was toppled by parliament on Oct. 5, threatening economic recovery and efforts to cut large budget and trade deficits.
Cicua, 54, a Liberal currently serving as Romania’s caretaker defence minister, has served in U.S.-led military campaigns in Iraq.
If nominated by Iohannis later in the day, he would have 10 days to draft a Cabinet lineup and seek a parliamentary vote of confidence.
“This is a proposal that we’ve made to the president, aimed at unlocking the political situation and solving the deep health crisis,” caretaker Prime Minister Florin Citu told reporters.
Iohannis’s first proposal for premier, Dacian Ciolos, failed to win a parliamentary vote of confidence for his centrist minority Cabinet on Wednesday.
Iohannis is expected to nominate a new prime minister designate later in the day, after completing consultations with all parliamentary parties, which can propose their own candidates for premier to the president.
Citu’s coalition collapsed earlier this month after Ciolos’ USR party withdrew its ministers in a row over a regional development fund that also cost Citu’s government its majority.
The ruling Liberals, the USR and ethnic Hungarians’ UDMR grouping controlled 57% of seats in parliament before the coalition collapsed.
(Reporting by Radu Marinas; Editing by Gareth Jones)
