Romania: president summarily appoints new PM
Romania needs a new prime minister after Ilie Bolojan of the National Liberal Party (PNL) was ousted by a vote of no confidence. Bolojan had announced his intention of naming his successor. However, President Nicușor Dan appointed a second candidate at the weekend, Adrian Veștea, without consulting the parties, after it became clear that the first candidate would be unlikely to secure a majority. Romania's media call for an end to the president's unilateral moves.
Blatant interference in party affairs
Journalist Florin Negruțiu is appalled by the President's actions, as he writes on republica.ro:
“Nicușor Dan has appointed a prime minister from the PNL without first consulting the party and, what's more, against the PNL's will. This is a brutal and unacceptable interference in a party's internal decisions. Dan wanted to replace Tomac with Veștea, as if he were changing his socks. According to the constitution, a new round of consultations with the parties in parliament would have been necessary following Tomac's withdrawal. Consultations that Dan considers unnecessary. And presumably, the parties likewise.”
Secretive and authoritarian
Cristian Pantazi of the blog G4Media.ro also sees a potential breach of the constitution:
“Now that Tomac [who was first nominated for the post] has withdrawn his candidacy, we are, in my opinion, facing a new reality, because now a new candidate for the post of prime minister must be nominated. To do so, Dan should have held talks with all the parties represented in Parliament. But he didn't. ... His behaviour is deeply secretive and displays a degree of authoritarianism. Dan is attacking a party [the PNL] that has taken democratic decisions. And he is attempting to oust Ilie Bolojan as PNL leader by undermining his decisions.”