Romania's parliament confirmed independent Luca Niculescu as prime minister on Tuesday, ending nearly six months of political deadlock that had put pressure on the country's investment-grade credit rating and dented investor confidence. Niculescu won the confidence vote with 280 votes in favour and 55 against, comfortably passing the 233 required.
Niculescu, 55, a former journalist and diplomat who served as Romania's ambassador to France and most recently as a secretary of state at the Foreign Ministry coordinating the country's OECD accession, put together a minority government of leftists and technocrats. His cabinet includes 11 ministers from the leftist Social Democrats (PSD) and seven independents. He was nominated by centrist President Nicusor Dan on October 5 — Dan's fourth attempt to install a government since the pro-European broad coalition cabinet collapsed in early May, when liberal leader Ilie Bolojan's government was removed by a no-confidence motion.
"I am not asking for a blank check. I am asking you to understand Romania needs a government with full powers after so many months of crisis." — Luca Niculescu
The task ahead is daunting. Romania carries one of the European Union's largest budget deficits — over 9% of economic output in 2024 and an expected 6.2% this year — and has agreed with Brussels to bring it below 3% by 2030. The country sits on the last rung of investment grade, and all the major ratings agencies have warned that failure to pass a deficit-reducing 2027 budget in December risks a downgrade. Moody's said Monday that the green light for Niculescu's cabinet would allow the timely adoption of a 2027 budget that supports fiscal correction. He must also eliminate an additional turnover tax on companies and raise pensions that fiscal constraints kept frozen for two years, in a contracting economy.
The government's foundations are explicitly temporary. The PSD, which joined after toppling its own former coalition in May, says it will re-assess its support in six months. Niculescu has signed political pacts with two centre-right parties from the former coalition under which they agree not to file any no-confidence votes before March 2027. The Eurasia Group said a new government "would restore short-term stability and unblock policymaking," while cautioning that Niculescu's ability to balance competing demands will determine whether it can last beyond April 2027. Waiting in opposition is the hard-right Alliance for the Union of Romanians, critical of Brussels, defence procurement and aid for Ukraine.
"Romania has no more time to lose," Niculescu said ahead of the vote, pledging to focus immediately on budget revisions, energy security and reducing waste in the public sector. Romania's next parliamentary election is due by late 2028, and the country has never held an early election — whether Niculescu becomes the prime minister who finally steadies the state, or the fourth name on this year's list of attempts, will be decided by the December budget fight.