New Romanian prime minister Luca Niculescu and cabinet members sworn in

Romania on Tuesday swore in a new cabinet following a vote that ended a months-long political impasse.

Prime Minister Luca Niculescu, an independent diplomat, won 280 votes in favour of his proposed cabinet, with 58 against. He plans to start work immediately, with a large budget deficit at the top of his agenda.

President Nicușor Dan nominated Niculescu, 55, a diplomat and former journalist, on 5 October, the president’s fourth pick for the job, after three earlier nominees failed to form a government.

Niculescu was widely expected to succeed after securing pledges of support for a minority government from the Social Democrats and other parties. He has reportedly reached a deal with several parties for six months of backing while a longer-term agreement is negotiated.

Speaking in Parliament after the vote, he thanked lawmakers for trusting his Cabinet.

“I present a governing programme, a team, and a commitment to work toward several clear objectives,” he said. “And I want to tell the Romanian people, from the very start, what kind of government this will be. A government that brings funds and investments into the country.”

The political crisis gripped Romania since May

The political crisis has gripped Romania since May, when then-Prime Minister Ilie Bolojan was ousted in a no-confidence motion. The motion was filed jointly by the Social Democratic Party, which had been part of his governing coalition, and the Alliance for the Unity of Romanians party. Bolojan’s government had pursued strict austerity measures.

Bolojan took office in 2025 with the aim of ending one of Romania’s worst political crises since the end of communism and of reducing a massive budget deficit.

Romania has faced a long stretch of instability since the annulment of a presidential election in December 2024. The country has also struggled with rampant inflation and a technical recession. Last year, it recorded one of the highest budget deficits in the European Union.

Tuesday’s vote came weeks after lawmakers rejected a Cabinet proposed by Dan’s third pick, Siegfried Muresan. That failure prolonged the crisis and raised the prospect of early elections, at a time of regional security concerns linked to Russia’s war in neighbouring Ukraine. Romania is a member of both NATO and the EU.

Experts warn that tensions could flare again soon. Niculescu’s support rests on a six-month arrangement with several parties, and a longer-term deal has yet to be agreed.