'People Expect Solutions,' President Tells New Romanian Government

Marcel Ciolacu (center) was appointed as prime minister

The Romanian parliament has sworn in a new pro-European coalition government led by leftist Social Democrat Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu.

The new government took the oath of office and held a ceremonial first cabinet meeting after parliament approved the new administration in a 240-143 vote on December 23.

President Klaus Iohannis had earlier appointed Ciolacu as prime minister to form a new government after three pro-Western parties agreed on a coalition aimed at preventing far-right groups from joining the government.

"You are entering a difficult period in your new responsibilities," Iohannis told the government in a congratulatory message. "I wish you to succeed in everything you set out to do, but, first of all, I wish you to succeed for Romania and Romanians. People expect solutions, stability, and a government that firmly maintains Romania's trajectory."

Iohannis said the situation is like no other the country has experienced, adding that all those he spoke to asked for the continuation of the pro-European path.

The government, which includes five new ministers, took shape amid political turmoil prompted by revelations about Russia's malign influence that led to the annulment of a presidential election after a Moscow-friendly outsider won the first round.

"It will not be an easy mandate for the future government," Ciolacu said in a statement.

"We are aware that we are in the midst of a deep political crisis. It is also a crisis of trust, and this coalition aims to regain the trust of citizens, the trust of the people."

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The coalition government includes Emil Hurezeanu, a former journalist for RFE/RL, who will serve as foreign minister.

The parties that together won just over half the seats in parliamentary elections on December 1 -- the leftist Social Democratic Party (PSD), center-right National Liberal Party (PNL), and the ethnic Hungarian UDMR -- reached an agreement to band together late on December 10 in Bucharest.

That deal came after they threw their support behind presidential candidate Elena Lasconi ahead of a December 8 scheduled runoff against the pro-Russian independent candidate Calin Georgescu, who had won a shock victory in the first round on November 24.

However, Romania's Constitutional Court on December 6 canceled the results of the first round and ordered a rerun of the presidential polls after the EU and NATO member's Supreme Defense Council declassified documents allegedly proving Georgescu's presidential bid had been aided by a campaign led by an unnamed "state actor" with the help of Chinese-owned TikTok social media platform.

The PSD and the PNL, the two parties that have dominated Romania's politics since the fall of communism, formed an unlikely left-right alliance in 2021.

The alliance became increasingly unpopular while also eroding both parties' support among voters, and allowed the shock rise of pro-Russian, far-right Alliance for the Unity of Romanians, which finished a close second in parliamentary elections with more than 18 percent to PSD's 23 percent.

Adding to the current instability, no presidential polls are likely until sometime early next year while it remains unclear if parties would have to propose new candidates or if Georgescu will be allowed to run again.

One of the government's first tasks will be to set a date for the new presidential election.

Last week, Bucharest Mayor Nicusor Dan, an independent, said he will be a candidate in the presidential election when it is re-run.