Romanian MPs vote in center-right government

Administration can now propose new candidate for European Commission.

A center-right government came to power in Romania on Monday, paving the way for the country to select a new nominee for the next European Commission.

Ludovic Orban, the leader of the National Liberal Party (PNL), became prime minister after he secured the required majority in parliament for his proposed Cabinet. The PNL is part of the European People’s Party alliance.

The change of power follows the collapse in early October of the previous Social Democrat (PSD) administration of Viorica Dăncilă.

The start of the next European Commission under President-elect Ursula von der Leyen has been delayed by the European Parliament’s rejection of the original French, Hungarian and Romanian nominees.

Von der Leyen last week backed replacement candidates from France and Hungary, leaving Romania as the last country still to propose a nominee acceptable to the incoming Commission chief.

The Orban government took office with the support of 240 MPs — seven more than the required majority of 233.

Most Social Democrat MEPs boycotted the vote. However, four voted in favor of the government, Romanian media reported.

The first Romanian nominee for the Commission, Rovana Plumb, was rejected by the European Parliament’s Legal Affairs Committee over conflict of interest concerns. Dăncilă then re-proposed MEP Dan Nica for the job, having first put his name forward to von der Leyen at the same time as Plumb. However, von der Leyen did not nominate him.

Last week Dăncilă, who has been leading a caretaker government, tried again. She proposed former MEP and ex-minister Victor Negrescu, a fellow Social Democrat, for the Commission post. But both Romanian President Klaus Iohannis and von der Leyen’s team made clear he did not have broad enough support.

Speaking before the vote, Orban blamed Dăncilă for making von der Leyen wait for the country’s Commission nominee.

“The former prime minister was stubborn to insist on some nominations that embarrassed us,” Orban said.

Plumb, the original Romanian nominee, was slated to take on the Commission’s transport portfolio. Von der Leyen’s team have said that whether Romania keeps that post will depend on the background of its next nominee.

Two MEPs have been widely discussed in Brussels as possible nominees — Siegfried Mureșan and Adina-Ioana Vălean.

The 38-year-old Mureșan has been an MEP since 2014 and is a vice-chair of the EPP group in the European Parliament. He’s a former member of the People’s Movement Party led by ex-President Traian Băsescu and has been a regular on the campaign trail with Orban and Iohannis.

Vălean, 51, has been a member of the European Parliament since Romania joined the EU in 2007 and now leads the industry, research and energy committee. Asked if she had been approached about the commissioner job, Vălean told POLITICO she didn’t want to comment but she would be interested in the post. “To get the opportunity at some point to work hands-on on developing legislation for the European Union — it’s a career wish, why not?” she said.

The term of the new Romanian government will be a maximum of one year, Orban said. Romania’s next parliamentary election is due to take place at the end of 2020 or the beginning of 2021, but a snap poll could be called for spring next year.

Romanians are also heading to the polls Sunday in a presidential election. Iohannis — a former PNL leader — is seeking a second term and Dăncilă is one of his main challengers.

Monday’s vote in parliament was preceded by infighting in the center-left Pro Romania party of former PSD Prime Minister Victor Ponta. While Ponta said his party would boycott the vote, six of his 32 MPs voted in favor of the proposed government.

The votes of rebel PSD and Pro Romania MPs, combined with support from independent ex-PSD and other MPs, ultimately proved crucial in giving Orban the required majority.

This article has been updated.