site.btaRomanian PM Bolojan Receives Vote of Confidence from Fellow Party Members

Romanian Prime Minister Ilie Bolojan received a vote of confidence from the leadership of the National Liberal Party (PNL), one of the four parties in the ruling coalition, the PNL press office said Tuesday.

Bolojan, who heads the PNL, himself requested a vote of confidence to see if he still enjoys the support of his fellow party members. In recent weeks, several of them have criticized his performance as Prime Minister.

However, during the secret ballot at Monday evening's PNL meeting, 47 votes were cast in support of Bolojan and only 3 against.

During the five-hour meeting, Bolojan and Finance Minister Alexandru Nazare also presented the main points of the economic recovery package, which is currently being finalized. It is structured in two main parts. The first aims to reconfigure state aid schemes by launching seven special programmes, including for mineral resources and critical raw materials, research and development, and new technologies, as well as for the defence industry. The second part includes a broad fiscal component targeting micro-enterprises and the entire business environment.

A recent sociological survey by the CURS agency showed that Prime Minister Bolojan and Social Democratic Party (PSD) leader Sorin Grindeanu are facing a serious degree of rejection, over 70%.

"The coalition is now in a worse position than it was six months ago. This is evident in investor concerns, but we are moving forward," President Nicusor Dan noted in an interview with Digi24.

When asked whether it was possible for Romania to be governed without Bolojan as prime minister in 2026, the President replied that there was no alternative at this point. "In addition, there is an agreement that until April 2027, there will be a prime minister appointed by the National Liberal Party," the head of State recalled.