Romanian prime minister Marcel Ciolacu mentioned the option of broadening the ruling coalition with the reformist Save Romania Union (USR) after the latter avoided supporting the opposition's no-confidence motion against the executive while still criticizing the prime minister.

PM Ciolacu implied he might step down after thorough consultations with his party but insisted that the ruling coalition's presidential candidate should remain Crin Antonescu, G4media.ro reported. 

USR president Elena Lasconi said that her party would join the ruling coalition but only if Marcel Ciolacu stepped down from his position at the top of the executive. She implied this would be possible rather after the presidential elections.

USR supports its president, Elena Lasconi, for the May presidential elections, while the ruling coalition formed by Social Democrats (PS), Liberals (PNL), and Hungarian party UDMR backs former PNL leader Crin Antinescu.

However, both Ciolacu and Lasconi are losing popularity among their parties, and Crin Antonescu is not wholeheartedly backed by all regional leaders of the ruling parties. 

At the same time, acting president Ilie Bolojan is emerging as a potential candidate of the centrist democratic parties able to defeat independent pro-Russian isolationist candidate Calin Georgescu, backed by far-right parties. Former regional leader of the Liberal Party (PNL) Bolojan was elected as Senate speaker after the December 1 elections and replaced Nicolae Ciuca as the head of his party. Since president Klaus Iohannis resigned, Bolojan renounced the party membership to serve as acting president.

Asked about his possible presidential candidacy, Bolojan did not provide a firm answer at his press conference on February 28. He implied that the parties that would support him should first decide this but did not firmly rule out the option.

"I have tried to be a trustful person, and if I sign something, I stick with the agreement," he said, pointing to the agreement signed as PNL President for the support of Crin Antonescu as the joint presidential candidate of the ruling coalition.

iulian@romania-insider.com

(Photo source: Gov.ro)