The IRES poll shows that 51% of Romanians do not know that there will be a change of prime minister next year, and that he will be from the PSD, according to the protocol of the current ruling coalition PNL-PSD-UDMR.

Did you hear that in 2023 the Prime Minister of Romania will change, according to the agreement of the ruling alliance?

• 48% of Romanians surveyed are aware of the ruling coalition’s protocol, according to which the prime minister will change in 2023, while 51% of respondents do not.

The IRES survey shows that men, people over 51, respondents with higher education and PSD voters are more informed about the protocol.

Do you think President Yohannis and the PNL will accept the appointment of the PSD Prime Minister?

• More than half (52%) say that President Klaus Iohannis and the PNL will accept a PSD prime minister, 39% believe that the head of state and the PNL will not accept a PSD prime minister, and 9% do not know or do not know answer.

When asked what they would like to change in 2023 from a political point of view, the majority of responses indicated politicians, the political class or the leadership of the country (16%), the Government or ruling parties (11%), followed by an increase in salaries, pensions or allowances (8 %), reduction of prices/inflation (3%), elimination of corruption, reduction of taxes and fees (1%).

The IRES survey was conducted from December 7 to 12 using the CATI method on a sample of 1,615 respondents over the age of 18 with an error of plus/minus 2.5%.

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.

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.