Romania: Grindeanu seeks 15 more votes for new government amid presidential hesitation

PSD leader Sorin Grindeanu is actively pursuing a parliamentary majority to form a new government, reportedly needing just 15 more votes. Political sources indicate Grindeanu is targeting unaffiliated members of parliament and potentially some from the AUR party to achieve this goal. However, President Klaus Iohannis appears hesitant to endorse this plan, preferring a rotational government arrangement involving PNL and USR.

Grindeanu's strategy involves building a coalition that includes UDMR, a conservative faction within PNL, and the sovereignist group led by Victor Ponta. If UDMR agrees to a minority government with PSD, securing a majority would become significantly easier. The combined votes from PSD and UDMR exceed 150, with additional support expected from Uniți pentru România (18 votes), Victor Ponta's sovereignist group, PACE (7 votes), and the national minorities' group, which typically supports government installations regardless of political affiliation. This could bring the total to around 200 votes.

To reach the required majority, Grindeanu's camp is looking to secure votes from a conservative wing of PNL, estimated at around 18 senators and deputies, with expectations of further defections from the liberal party. An additional 13-15 votes are still needed. PSD is reportedly negotiating individual votes from 14 unaffiliated MPs in the Chamber of Deputies and 8 in the Senate, many of whom previously belonged to SOS or POT. Securing a handful of AUR parliamentarians who were previously willing to vote for the previous government could also contribute.

Sources suggest that if President Iohannis designates Grindeanu as prime minister, PSD could gather between 235 and 240 votes, sufficient for government investiture. However, Iohannis is reportedly reluctant to form a government based on such a fragile coalition. He is said to favor a scenario where PNL and USR support Grindeanu now, with PSD allowing a right-wing prime minister, such as Siegfried Mureșan, to take office next year. Meanwhile, PSD and UDMR leader Kelemen Hunor are reportedly discussing a minority government, with Hunor considering it a viable option to break the political deadlock.