Romanian PM confirms talks about merging elections in 2024
Romanian prime minister Nicolae Ciucă recently confirmed that there are discussions within the governing coalition about the possibility of merging some of next year’s elections.
In 2024, Romania will have parliamentary, presidential, European, and local elections. The PM said that over 80% of citizens do not want "to have such a large number of elections."
"These are discussions that we and the Social Democratic Party have, following the surveys we have requested. The surveys show very clearly, and it is not difficult for anyone to understand, that four or five rounds of elections will occupy at least six or seven months. We cannot afford to lose so much time in one year,” Ciucă said, cited by Digi24.
“And so, the rational thing to do is think about how to merge some of the elections – we don't know which ones yet – and bring them into a time frame that does not affect our executive activity […]. That's what citizens want. Over 80% of citizens overwhelmingly want to avoid having such a large number of elections," he added.
The PM, who is also the leader of the National Liberal Party in Romania, said that suitable people will be found within the party to act as ministers in the future government. He did not discount the possibility of having technocratic ministers either.
"We will come up with nominations for each position in the future government separately, based on an analysis at the party level. We will see. If we don't find suitable people within the party for those positions, we will look elsewhere, but I am convinced, as I have known the National Liberal Party, that we will find people who know what they have to do," Ciucă explained.
The leader of the party of the Hungarian minority in Romania, Kelemen Hunor, said that the elections in 2024 cannot be merged because the constitution and the law do not allow it. Deputy prime minister Sorin Grindeanu said he has doubts that merging elections would be constitutional, but added that anything that would lead to a certain simplification, as long as it respects the law, is welcome.
Previously, Romanian president Klaus Iohannis also said that merging some of the elections might be possible. Four electoral rounds in one year are too many and the discussion about merging elections is legitimate, he argued.
(Photo source: Inquam Photos | Ilona Andrei)
