Bolojan rejects Grindeanu's accusation of lying to President Nicușor Dan over technocrat government talks

Accusations from Grindeanu

Speaking after a PSD meeting, Sorin Grindeanu accused PNL president Ilie Bolojan of having repeatedly changed his position during negotiations to form a government led by technocrat prime minister-designate Eugen Tomac. Grindeanu claimed that Bolojan initially accepted the idea, then after three days demanded that no PSD affiliates be included, and after another three days sought to exclude PSD state secretaries and prefects, before finally telling his party he would not vote for the cabinet because it was apolitical.

In the moment when you are party president and you lie to the President of Romania, you lie. I take responsibility for what I say.

Grindeanu also asserted that the current political crisis is a direct consequence of Bolojan's conduct. He further criticised USR and Bolojan, arguing they had no political project of their own and built their discourse solely on attacking the PSD.

Bolojan's response

Within hours, Ilie Bolojan posted a sharp rebuttal on Facebook, a message that drew 10,000 likes in its first 15 minutes. He flatly denied ever reaching any agreement, even in principle, to install a technocrat government.

Never have I formulated any accord, not even of principle, for the investiture of a technocrat government. I said publicly that this could have been one of the theoretical constitutional solutions, depending on conditions being met, which they were not.

Bolojan insisted that the party decides its position through statutory bodies and open votes, not behind closed doors. He denied offering any personal or other position in exchange for an agreement that was never on the table. The PNL leader described the current crisis as having been triggered to destroy his party and warned that lies have short legs.

The role of Eugen Tomac

The row follows statements by Eugen Tomac, the abandoned prime minister-designate, who said on Wednesday that both PSD and PNL had initially been open to a technocrat government. Tomac claimed Bolojan was insincere with President Nicușor Dan and that this insincerity caused the impasse.

Obviously, the fact that Mr. Bolojan was not sincere with the president has led us into this blockage.

Broader political crisis

The exchange is the latest flashpoint in Romania's protracted government formation saga. Grindeanu accused Bolojan of inventing successive new conditions that were each met, only for him to pivot again. He argued that the public is tired of Bolojan thinking only about himself. Bolojan, for his part, framed the entire affair as an attempt to destroy the PNL, saying the party would make its decisions openly and without backroom deals.