Veştea, a former mayor, county council president and development minister from the center-right National Liberal Party (PNL), said he would aim to form a “political government that will undertake real reforms and keep Romania on a pro-Western path.”
“We are the sixth-largest country in Europe, and we need to put a major emphasis on development. Which I will do from day one,” Veştea added.
The nomination comes just days after Dan tasked Tomac with appointing a technocratic government, one month after the center-left and far-right camps joined forces to oust Prime Minister Ilie Bolojan over austerity measures.
Romania has the EU’s highest inflation and fiscal deficit — and has struggled with public backlash over its efforts to rebalance the books while ramping up defense spending in line with its NATO commitments.
Yet the announcement drew immediate criticism from Veştea’s own party. Bolojan, who is leader of the PNL, on Sunday said he had not been informed of the move to nominate Veştea, calling the nomination a “hostile act” and accusing Dan of an “attempt to break up the PNL.”
Lawmakers will have to approve the nomination. After that, Veştea will have 10 days to form a government and win parliamentary approval.