Romanian Centre-Right Creates New Governing Coalition

The ruling National Liberal Party, PNL, the centrist USR PLUS alliance and the Democratic Union of Hungarians in Romania, UDMR, sealed a deal on Monday night to form a coalition government that is expected to be approved by parliament in the coming days.

The parties agreed that current Finance Minister Florin Citu, from the PNL, will head the new government, with PNL leader and former prime minister Ludovic Orban becoming the parliamentary speaker and USR PLUS member Anca Dana Dragu the speaker of the Senate.

The three parties have an absolute majority in the parliament that emerged from the December 6 elections, although the opposition Social Democratic Party, PSD, came first with 28.9 per cent of the vote, almost four points ahead of the PNL and just under 14 ahead of USR PLUS. The Hungarian minority party UDMR obtained over five per cent.

The tripartite coalition formed on Monday night has a total of 244 members of parliament and the senate, 11 seats more than the necessary 233, representing a majority of 50 per cent plus one, required to vote in a government in Romania's two chambers.

Romania's President Klaus Iohannis will meet with party leaders later on Tuesday and is expected to name Florin Citu as designated prime minister. Citu will then form a government and seek the support of parliament for his cabinet.

Romanian media reported that the PNL will give up some significant ministerial seats in exchange for USR PLUS agreeing to vote for the PNL leader Ludovic Orban as speaker of parliament.

According to these reports, USR PLUS will get ministries such as Justice, Health, Transport, EU Funds and Economy, which are not only key to the three partners' reformist agenda but will also receive the largest amounts of money...