The continuation of the teachers’ strike further blocks politicians’ plans for government rotation. According to the protocol signed by PSD and PNL, the round-robin match was to take place at the end of May.

The teachers’ strike canceled the calendar agreed in the Coalition, and the PSD and PNL leaders are now avoiding a political decision to approve a new government. Political sources in the coalition told HotNews.ro that President Klaus Iohannis asked Marcel Čolaka and Nicolae Chuke to decide on the future government.

According to quoted sources, Prime Minister Nicolae Chuke fired all his advisers from their positions two weeks ago and remained “captive in the government to lead the teachers’ strike.”

“The government works in emergency mode. Chuke was left alone on the button after dismissing all his advisors. The situation in the ministries is not better either. Some ministers did the same,” the cited sources explained.

On the other hand, PSD refused to take over the government until the street protests were completely stopped.

In this context, President Klaus Iohannis told the leaders of the Coalition to find a solution so that we have a functioning government by the end of June.

According to HotNews.ro sources, Iohannis would tell the coalition leaders to clarify the situation in the government from a political point of view and make a firm decision on governance.

“They were offered two options: either the ring road is implemented so that the SDP heads the executive power and the ministries are exchanged, or they continue with the same prime minister and change the ministers for certain portfolios. Be that as it may, Yohannis asked them to give an answer and to implement the decision in a maximum of two weeks, before the end of the parliamentary session,” quoted sources said.

PNL parliamentarians have also received a message from the party leadership to avoid traveling in the territory and to stay in Bucharest in the next period, starting from Monday.

It will be recalled that the protocol between the PSD and the PNL stipulated that the round of the government would take place at the end of May. Before the start of the teachers’ strike, the PSD, PNL, UDMR coalition was in the midst of negotiations regarding the distribution of government portfolios.

The PSD proposed to revise the protocol signed in 2021 to keep the Ministry of Transport. When the teachers took to the streets on May 22, political negotiations between the PSD, PNL and UDMR on the distribution of portfolios in the future government were already blocked.

What does the PSD position look like?

Officially, PSD leader Marcel Çolaku has told the Liberals that he is ready to return to protocol and give up the transport ministry with one exception: to maintain the reduction in the number of portfolios from 20 to 18 by merging the two ministries.

In other words, the PSD seems willing to cede the Ministry of Transport, but in a formula of 18 ministries, and the PNL will lose the portfolio from entrepreneurship. The Social Democrats have rearranged themselves and say that they do not agree with the UDMR leaving the government.

“We did not understand each other, so we return to the protocol. We want to keep the UDMR in government, even if we have a majority in parliament with the PNL. The election year is approaching, the UDMR vote is needed,” PSD official sources explained.

What does PNL want?

Liberals are unhappy that Marcel Čolaku asked to postpone the rotation of the government and did not want to lead the government in the midst of a social crisis.

“There are two scenarios from which we can start: either the protocol is followed, or we resume ministerial negotiations in the context of reducing the number of portfolios, as proposed by the PSD. We must make a decision as soon as possible,” official sources from the PNL told HotNews.ro.

How to change the provisions of the UDMR

According to the latest information obtained by HotNews.ro, the UDMR wants to stay in the government and will be ready to review the portfolios, except for the Ministry of Development. That is, the UDMR may give in to the Ministry of Natural Resources if negotiations resume.

Moreover, the Social Democrats would assure the leaders of the Union that they want the UDMR to remain a partner in the government. Support for the PSD is based on a simple calculation: the UDMR is a safeguard for the Social Democrats should the Liberals be tempted to leave the government before the 2024 general election.

The bet of the government ring is the 2024 general election

A change of government is a key moment for PSD and PNL leaders with a view to the 2024 elections. The PSD will take over the leadership of the government by nominating Marcel Čolaka as Prime Minister, and the PNL needs guarantees and assurances that they will work together even after the 2024 elections. .

At the same time, Marcel Čolaku and Nicolae Chuke must present themselves to the social democratic and liberal leaders with important positions in the central administrative apparatus, positions and portfolios that will be visible during the upcoming election campaign.

It will be recalled that the negotiations reached an impasse after the PSD and PNL asked the leaders of the UDMR to abandon the Ministry of Environment.

In order to keep the transport portfolio, the Social Democrats suggested that the Liberals move to the UDMR Ministry of Ecology. This proposal was supported by the PNL, and after the refusal of the UDMR leaders, the negotiations were blocked.

The biggest stake for both PSD and PNL is to get ministries that will announce the completion of some projects, manage public funds and organize elections. In this sense, Cholaku and Chuke under Klaus Iohannis claimed key ministries, while the UDMR risks accepting less important ministries or abandoning the government.