Romanian President Nicusor Dan on Sunday (June 8) appointed Adrian Vestea, a member of the National Liberal Party (PNL) and former mayor, to serve as Prime Minister to form a new government. The decision came after the previous candidate, Eugen Tomac, announced his withdrawal.
“Eugen Tomac withdrew his mandate this morning, and therefore I nominate Adrian Vestea as Prime Minister,” Dan, a centrist politician, wrote on social media platform X.
Vestea, 52, currently serves as President of the Brasov County Council in central Romania. Earlier, Eugen Tomac had sought to lead a government of technocratic experts but failed to secure support from parliamentary parties.
In a statement, Vestea—who served as Minister of Development from 2023 to 2024—said he wants “a political government that will implement real reforms and keep Romania on a pro-Western path.”
“We are the sixth-largest country in Europe, and we need to place a strong focus on development. That is what I will do from day one,” he said.
The two prime ministerial nominations by President Dan this month follow a no-confidence vote in May that toppled former Prime Minister Ilie Bolojan. The next general election is scheduled for 2028.
Dan remarked that Vestea was suited for the role because he has “gone through all levels of administration” throughout his political career. “He was a successful mayor, successful county council president, successful minister, and he attracted European funds, focusing on development, for example, the Brasov airport, a success,” Dan said.
Parliamentary parties have previously stated that a minority government (where members do not hold a majority of seats in parliament) would be preferable to a technocratic government.
Vestea has 10 days to form a government and must secure a confidence vote in parliament to officially take office.
Romania currently has one of the highest budget deficits in the European Union, alongside high inflation and a technical recession. When a coalition government took power in June 2025, reducing the budget deficit was prioritized. Bolojan took office with the goal of ending one of the worst political crises in Romania’s post-communist history, but his government lasted less than a year.
