After first premier-designate Dacian Cioloș failed to obtain support for a USR monitory government, and in the midst of a pandemic, Romanians are still witnessing so-called negotiations, editorialises Euractiv. Nicolae Ciucă’s discussions with the PSD and USR are not really negotiations, according to Euractiv. “The reserve general was sent by President Klaus Iohannis and the PNL without ammunition.” Ciucă could only present the two parties the option of a minority government and ask for their support in Parliament. As USR and PSD refused, Ciucă returned to the Liberals and the President to receive new marching orders, as the appointed prime minister does not seem to have any decision-making power.

After 10 days of negotiations there are few other options than a PNL-UDMR minority government. PM-designate Nicolae Ciucă is supposed to present his line-up of ministers in an envisioned PNL-UDMR cabinet today — just within the 10-day deadline the Constitution sets. The Liberals are doing bad in the polls, so they are the last ones who would like early elections now.