Nicolae Ciuca - nominated candidate for position of prime minister

Nicolae Ciuca has been nominated on Monday by President Klaus Iohannis as candidate for the position of prime minister.

The head of state said that this proposal came from the National Liberal Party (PNL), the Social Democratic Party (PSD) and the Hungarian Democratic Union of Romania (UDMR) and from the parliamentary group of national minorities.

"The consultation session that I convened with the parliamentary parties has ended. I found that a solid majority was formed in the Romanian Parliament, a majority that includes the PNL, PSD, UDMR and the minority group. The representatives of this majority wanted to come together to the consultations, I have accepted this and in this format we had a discussion that I consider very good. This majority proposed to me a name of prime minister, a proposal that I accepted. I consequently nominate Mr. Nicolae Ciuca, here present, to form a government team and to appear before the Romanian Parliament for the vote of confidence," declared President Klaus Iohannis, at the Cotroceni Palace.

He wished Nicolae Ciuca, present at the Cotroceni Palace, much success.

On Monday, the head of state had consultations with the representatives of PNL, PSD, UDMR and of the national minorities, and then with those of AUR (Alliance for the Union of Romanians), in order to nominate the candidate for the position of prime minister. USR did not participate in the consultations at Cotroceni Palace.

According to the Constitution, the candidate for the position of Prime Minister will request, within 10 days from the nomination, Parliament's vote of confidence on the program and of the entire Government list. The governing program and the list of the Government are to be debated by the Chamber of Deputies and the Senate, in a joint session. Parliament gives its nod of approval to the Government by the majority of deputies and senators' vote.

The leaders of PNL, PSD and UDMR announced that Romania will have a Government by Thursday.

Nicolae Ciuca was also nominated as a candidate for prime minister on October 21. However, he submitted his resignation after the PNL-UDMR minority government failed to gather a majority in Parliament to vote for him.