Romanian Prime Minister designate Luca Niculescu arrives for a joint parliament session called to give a vote of confidence for the new government team, in Bucharest, Romania, Tuesday, Oct. 20, 2026. (AP Photo/Andreea Alexandru)

By The Canadian Press

Romanian lawmakers back Cabinet of independent Luca Niculescu seeking to end a months-long crisis

Oct 20, 2026 | 6:56 AM

BUCHAREST, Romania (AP) — Romanian lawmakers voted Tuesday to back a Cabinet proposed by Prime Minister Luca Niculescu, an independent who seeks to end a monthslong political crisis.

President Nicusor Dan nominated 55-year-old Niculescu, a diplomat and former journalist, to be prime minister on Oct. 5, his fourth such nomination after three previous nominees failed to form a government.

Niculescu was widely expected to succeed after winning pledges of support for a minority government from the Social Democrats and others.

The vote was 280 to 58.

Speaking in Parliament after the vote, Niculescu thanked lawmakers for putting their trust in his Cabinet.

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“It is an important moment for Romania. We are coming out of six months of crisis, we are getting down to work immediately,” he said. “Starting this evening, we will organize the first government meeting. The priorities are known. Romania cannot wait any longer.”

A political crisis has gripped the European Union country since May, when Prime Minister Ilie Bolojan was ousted in a no-confidence motion jointly filed by the Social Democratic Party, which was part of the governing coalition, and the Alliance for the Unity of Romanians party.

When the previous coalition came to power in 2025, Bolojan was sworn in with the aim of ending one of Romania’s worst political crises in its post-Communist history and reducing a massive budget deficit.

Romania has faced a long period of instability after the annulment of a presidential election in December 2024. The country has also grappled with one of the highest budget deficits in the European Union, rampant inflation, and a technical recession.

Tuesday’s vote comes weeks after lawmakers rejected a Cabinet proposed by Dan’s third pick, Siegfried Muresan, which prolonged the crisis and raised the chance of early elections at a time of regional security concerns linked to Russia’s war in neighboring Ukraine.

Cristian Andrei, a Bucharest-based political consultant, told The Associated Press that “today’s vote is only a short break in the political battle in a fragmented parliament.”

“The tensions will start again and will grow even more now, with a minority (Social Democratic) Cabinet that has to fight for every piece of legislation and for new allies every day,” he said. “The optimism this Cabinet is trying to project is very difficult to achieve with a very tight budget and limited financial resources. This will put extra pressure on this Cabinet from society to either deliver or go full mode populist.”

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This story corrects the vote count in Parliament.

The Associated Press

by The Canadian Press