President Klaus Iohannis is to hold consultations with the parliamentary parties on nominating a candidate for the prime minister job on Sunday, December 22, the Presidential Administration announced.

The president, whose mandate has been extended after the Constitutional Court (CCR) annulled the first round of the presidential elections, is nominating the PM following the parliamentary elections held on December 1. The president nominates the PM and appoints the government following the vote of confidence from the Parliament. A new government, to be validated by the Parliament, is to decide the date of the presidential elections.

The first round of talks will be held with representatives of the Social Democrat Party (PSD), the National Liberal Party (PNL), the Democratic Alliance of Hungarians in Romania (UDMR), and representatives of other ethnic minorities. The Save Romania Union (USR), a party that had joined initial talks with PSD, PNL, and UDMR to form a government, will have talks separately.

After current PM Marcel Ciolacu announced on December 19, that PSD was withdrawing from discussions to form a new government, PSD, PNL and UDMR resumed discussions on Saturday, G4media.ro reported.

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(Photo: Presidency.ro)

simona@romania-insider.com