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Romanian Parties End Years of Feuding to Seek New Government

Romania Parties End Years of Rivalry to Seek Power, Fight Covid

Romania’s two biggest parties will set aside seven years of bitter conflict and start coalition talks as the nation struggles to fight the coronavirus pandemic.

The ruling Liberal Party will negotiate with the Social Democratic Party, which controls the most seats in parliament, and seek to reach a deal for a new government this month, Deputy Leader Rares Bogdan said. The Liberals will push to have their nominee lead the new cabinet, which the Social Democrats haven’t ruled out, he added. 

A deal would end a two-month political deadlock caused by the collapse of the Liberal-led coalition after less than a year over a regional spending plan. 

The latest coronavirus outbreak, one of the worst in Europe, forced the parties to come together and try to agree on measures to contain the pandemic in the nation whose inoculation rate trails the European Union average. 

“Romania is going through a very difficult moment and we can’t continue like this,” Social Democratic leader Marcel Ciolacu told Antena 3 TV station. “We need to have very serious discussions and we need to appoint experts” in the new government.

The Social Democrats ruled out acting Prime Minister and Liberal leader Florin Citu keeping his job. He and the Social Democrat leader could split main parliamentary roles, according to Social Democratic lawmaker Alfred Simonis. 

During the negotiations, the parties will need to agree on a new premier and resolve differences over fiscal spending and the handling of the pandemic. The coalition will also need to address demands to increase spending on pensions and wages, which has been the root cause for Romania’s ballooning deficit.

President Klaus Iohannis will decide on the premier-designate, who will then need parliamentary approval to form the new government.

©2021 Bloomberg L.P.