Romanian President opens door to early elections

Romanian President Nicusor Dan has acknowledged for the first time the possibility of early parliamentary elections.

The head of state made the comment in an interview with Euronews during his visit to Finland, where he took part in an EU-Arctic summit, CE Report quotes BTA.

“People are already tired of the uncertainty and the conflicts between the political parties; however, early elections do not mean forming a government within a week—they involve an electoral timetable that extends slightly before or after the New Year, an escalation of attacks between the parties, as well as an economic downturn or stagnation, which is why I do not want them. But we can no longer say that we rule out early elections,” he said on air.

He announced that this week he would hold new political consultations with the parties and intends to nominate a prime minister by September 23, when he is due to attend the United Nations General Assembly.

“Let’s see what happens after the nomination,” the head of state said.

Nicusor Dan added that he had expected a greater willingness to engage in dialogue from the parliamentary parties as early as September 1, when parliament resumed its work.

“I know by heart the number of MPs held by the individual parties or parliamentary groups, as well as all possible scenarios for securing 233 votes; I do not want to go into detail about which option is the most likely given the current composition of parliament,” Nicusor Dan added.

Romania has been without a regular government for 132 days.

The government led by National Liberal Party leader Ilie Bolojan was brought down by a no-confidence vote on May 5.

Photo: The Administration of the Romanian President