Luca Niculescu submitted cabinet list and program

Designated Luca Niculescu submitted his proposed list of ministers and government program to Parliament on Thursday, setting up a schedule for the following week, according to sources.

Parliamentary Bureaus Set Schedule for Ministerial Hearings

The Permanent Bureaus of the Chamber of Deputies and the Senate met online to establish the calendar for committee hearings and the final plenary vote. According to the approved schedule, parliamentary committees will hold ministerial hearings on Monday and Tuesday.

The formation of the executive follows months of political deadlock. In a message posted to Facebook, Luca Niculescu described the cabinet structure as an uncommon formula for Romania that combines political nominees from the Social Democratic Party (PSD) with independent specialists.

PSD Secures 11 of 17 Ministerial Portfolios

Under the submitted list, the PSD secured 11 of the 17 ministerial portfolios in the cabinet. Marian Neacșu takes the position of Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Internal Affairs. The remaining PSD ministerial nominees include Florin Barbu at Agriculture and Rural Development, Alexandru Rogobete at Health, Florin Manole at Labour, Daniel Zamfir at Economy, Radu Marinescu at Justice, Alexandru Stoica at Development, Ștefan Ovidiu Popa at Transport, Natalia Intotero at Environment, Mihai Ghigiu at European Projects, and Ștefan Radu Oprea at National Defence. Sorin Costreie was named minister for Education.

Reporting on the independent portfolio holders, Digi24 and Ziarul Bursa noted that Alexandru Nazare remains at the Ministry of Finance, while Dan Neculăescu is slated for Foreign Affairs. Sorin Costreie, a presidential adviser, is designated for Education, and Ioana Ciocan is slated for Culture.

Government Program Targets Budget Deficit and Tax Changes

The government program outlines targets for 2027 and 2028, prioritizing an immediate budget rectification to avoid blockages in hospital operations, medicine supplies, and payments to town halls and firms. For public finances, the program targets a 2026 budget deficit not exceeding 5.2% of GDP and the elimination of the turnover tax starting January 1, 2027.

Economic plans involve maintaining the Rabla vehicle replacement program through 2030 exclusively for vehicles produced within the European Union, alongside administrative burden reductions for businesses.

UDMR Supports New Cabinet While USR Opposes

While the PSD provides the core parliamentary backing as the sole party formally entering the government, other parties have adopted divergent stances. The Democratic Alliance of Hungarians in Romania (UDMR) announced they will vote to invest the government, with UDMR leader Kelemen Hunor emphasizing the necessity of ending the destructive political blockages. Conversely, USR leader Dominic Fritz announced he would propose that his party’s lawmakers vote against the cabinet.