Romania’s Top Party Urges Ex-Allies to Commit to New Government

The biggest party in the Romanian parliament is conditioning its support for new prime minister-designate Luca Niculescu on a clear commitment from its two former coalition allies to follow suit, signaling it’s ready to return to a ruling alliance.

The Social Democrats said the premier designate should strive to secure a clear majority that includes the Liberals and the ethnic Hungarians party, party leader Sorin Grindeanu said after meeting with Niculescu on Thursday.

The agreement should deliver a government that would be able to pass a budget for next year and take measures to boost the economy, he said.

The outreach from Social Democrats suggests Romania may finally be close to finding a way out of the political crisis that almost cost the country its investment-grade rating and contributed to prolonged economic stagnation. It’s now up to the two smaller parties to decide whether they want to join the coalition.

“We want a clear majority and we aren’t interested in government positions,” Grindeanu said.