Negotiations in the Coalition for a new government, which Klaus Iohannis wants to complete next week, have reached maximum tension. PSD and PNL want ministries with money, UDMR thinks why should they stay in the government.

On Thursday in the Government, Kelemen Hunor stood up and left the discussions.

How did it all happen?

With a publicly accepted mandate that the future government should have fewer ministries, all parties have made their calculations, especially in the context of the decisions that need to be made, but also in the context of the upcoming election year.

Everyone has to give up something, but at the same time remain in ministries with money that can provide visibility, electoral points, and control in the party.

First on the list of the Ministry of Transport. Now led by the PSD through Sorin Grindeana, he was to return to the PNL on the government ring road. But Marcel Cholaku does not want to give up either Transporturi or Sorin Grindeanu, who, on the one hand, can create problems for him in the party, and on the other – become his ally in the match with Gabriela Firea.

In exchange for Transport, the libertarians should have received the Ministry of Natural Resources, which the UDMR would have given up without any problems in order to stay with Development.

However, in the last hours before the negotiations, the liberals got screwed. Prime Minister Nikolay Chuke applied for the post of Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Transport. Faced with Marcel Čolaku’s clear refusal, the PNL leader assessed that the environment ministry from the UDMR was not enough and wanted more. More precisely, the Ministry of Development. Political sources say the move will also have the support of President Klaus Iohannis. Instead, the PNL offered the UDMR the Ministry of European Funds, but the Union refused.

When PNL formulated these claims, Kelemen Hunor got up from the table and left the discussion.

Will UDMR leave the coalition and the government under these conditions? Kelemen Hunor leaves the door open for negotiations.

“We are in a coalition! We’ll see after the year. Until the newly appointed prime minister closes the negotiations, anything is possible. Let’s see! It depends on them, not on us!” the UDMR leader told HotNews.ro at the end of the day.

What is Chuke’s share?

Nikolay Chuke is now playing his role as a politician. In a few days, already the prime minister, he has no choice but to preserve his power in the party. Even if he remains in government, without control over resources, he will no longer be able to hold any sway, his position as PNL chairman will be undermined, and his political career will end rather quickly.

A ministry with money, such as a ministry of transport or development, is the only tool it can use to maintain its power.

Also, an outbreak of a power struggle within the PNL would be a disaster for the Liberals ahead of the election, especially as they now enter the race in third place behind the AUR.

What are UDMR calculations

Now UDMR has to decide whether to stay in the government or not. Union leaders weigh the costs and benefits of each option.

An important part of this equation is the next decisions that the incoming government has to make. In a not the happiest economic context, the new team from Victoria Palace has to tackle a special law on pensions, a law on wages and reform of the general pension system, measures with a special social impact in a pre-election year.

Leaving a decorative position in government without access to resources can have extraordinary costs for the UDMR.

The situation is not entirely rosy even in the case of remaining in the Government, in a difficult context, if only with the Ministry of Development. However, this would be a significant advantage.