Prime Minister Nicolae Chuke confirmed on Thursday that the famous “rotational” government will take place at the end of May, as the PSD and PNL established during the creation of the current coalition. At the head of the government, together with several ministers, Marcel Čolaku will replace him as the head of the government.

Meeting of the government of Nikolae ChukaPhoto: Government of Romania
  • “In the deal we agreed upon when we formed the coalition, we agreed that the rotation would be done at the end of May, and the rotation will be done as we agreed,” Prime Minister Nicolae Chuke said Thursday in response to questions.

And PSD leader Marcel Čolaku said in November that the coalition’s agreement on this will be respected: “There is an exact date. May 25 is the date when the rotation through the parliament will take place. The prime minister resigns, the entire cabinet collapses, then he returns to parliament with a new prime minister and a new government program.”

What the PNL-PSD rotation system provides

The political agreement on the creation of the “National Coalition for Romania”, signed by the leaders of the PSD, PNL and UDMR in November 2021, after the formation of the current ruling coalition, provides that Nicolae Cuke will have a mandate until May 25, 2023, from which he will be appointed prime minister. PSD minister until the 2024 general elections.

The document also stipulates the conditions under which the rotation system between PNL and PSD will work – when the prime minister is changed, the following representatives in the government will also be replaced:

  • The Deputy Prime Minister from the PSD will be replaced by the Deputy Prime Minister from the PNL;
  • The Minister of Transport from the PSD will be replaced by a candidate for this portfolio from the PNL, and the PSD will take over the Ministry of Investments and European Projects;
  • The Minister of Public Finance from the PSD will be replaced by the PNL, and the PSD will take over the Ministry of Justice;
  • The PSD coordinator of the General Secretariat of the Government will be replaced by a representative of the PNL, and the PSD will take over the coordination of the Prime Minister’s Office.