We use analytics to improve Pollar and, with your consent, the Meta pixel to measure sign-ups and purchases that come from our ads. You can change this anytime in Settings. Privacy policy

Search⌘K
HomeFor YouLiveBriefAsk
MapMarketsThreadsSoundsFilms
DomesticGeopoliticsEconomySocietyScience & TechInfrastructureSportCultureLifestyle
Support PollarNotifications
PrivacyNewsroom
HomeBriefLiveThreadsSearch
Listen to the article3 min, read by a synthetic voice

In brief

  • The Luca Niculescu cabinet list was filed on Thursday evening, 15 October, with PSD set to hold 11 of the 17 portfolios and six technocrats joining the executive.

  • On 30 September 2026 Mureșan's cabinet received 182 votes in favour against the 233 needed, with 15 parliamentarians voting against.

  • Mureșan's post paired 11 PSD ministries with candidates his team proposed two weeks earlier, including Oana Gheorghiu or Alexandru Rogobete for one post.

  • Ilie Bolojan said on Thursday that PNL will decide by the end of the week whether to vote for the Niculescu government.

Photo: European Parliament, CC BY 2.0 (Wikimedia Commons, cropped)
How it came to this
  1. 30 SeptMureșan's cabinet gets 182 votes in favour at the investiture vote, short of the 233 needed
  2. 15 OctLuca Niculescu's cabinet list, with 11 of 17 portfolios for PSD, is filed in Parliament
  3. 16 OctMureșan criticises the PSD ministers in a Facebook post

Mureșan's criticism of the new list

Siegfried Mureșan, the PNL member of the European Parliament who was designated prime minister and then failed the investiture vote, attacked the cabinet proposed by designated prime minister Luca Niculescu in a Facebook post on Friday, 16 October. The list of ministers and the government programme were filed in Parliament on Thursday evening, 15 October. PSD would hold 11 of the 17 portfolios, and its minister delegate for pre-university education is Sorin Ionescu. Six technocrats would fill the rest of the executive.

In the post, Mureșan compared each of the 11 PSD ministries with a candidate his team had proposed two weeks earlier. He listed pairs of names and asked which of each pair Romania deserves, including Oana Gheorghiu or Alexandru Rogobete and Andrea Chiș or Radu Marinescu. He said his party had proposed competent people ready to continue reforms, cut waste, attract European funds and modernise the state.

Mureșan blamed Parliament for the outcome, saying the people want a better government while the current parliamentary majority wants something else.

“Unfortunately, our team did not receive the parliament's vote.”

Siegfried Mureșan, PNL member of the European Parliament

Why his cabinet fell

His own cabinet was rejected at the investiture vote on 30 September 2026. It received 182 votes in favour, against the 233 needed, while 15 parliamentarians voted against. It was the third prime ministerial nomination by President Nicușor Dan since Parliament dismissed the Bolojan cabinet, and Dan has had to build a parliamentary majority without success in that period. Reuters described the episode as a third failed nominee for premier from the centrist president.

Votes in the 30 September 2026 investiture votevotes
Votes for182
Votes against15
Votes needed233
Votes for
182 votes
Votes against
15 votes
Votes needed
233 votes

Data from the article text

Accusations against PSD and the path ahead

On Thursday, 15 October, Mureșan accused PSD leader Sorin Grindeanu of inventing a lot of pretexts to bring down his government, knowing that a cabinet would follow in which the social democrats name 11 ministers. He concluded his post by saying Romania deserves better.

“Romania deserves a much better government than the one being proposed to us now.”

Siegfried Mureșan, PNL member of the European Parliament

Ilie Bolojan said on Thursday that PNL will decide by the end of the week whether it votes for the Luca Niculescu government. Mureșan's final message was that the only route to a competent government is for PNL to win elections and form a new majority to modernise the country.

Next in today’s edition

Bend elementary shooting kills three children and a teacher

A 16-year-old opened fire at Silver Rail Elementary School in Bend, Oregon, on Thursday, 15 October, and was shot dead inside by a parent who followed him in. Police said four people were killed, and two others were taken to hospital in critical condition.

  • Government · 8 h agoZacharia reportedly out as White House press secretary
  • Diplomacy · 6 h agoPope Leo XIV asks Putin for Oleshky humanitarian truce
  • Business · 11 h agoTesla shows flying Roadster, production targeted for 2028

Sources and context

  • Libertatea17 h agoSiegfried Mureșan attacks the government proposed by Luca Niculescu: “Romania deserves a much better government”Siegfried Mureșan atacă guvernul propus de Luca Niculescu: "România merită un guvern mult mai bun · original in Romanian
  • HotNews.ro20 h ago“Oana Gheorghiu or Alexandru Rogobete?”. The new reaction of Siegfried Mureșan after the submission of the Niculescu Cabinet list"Oana Gheorghiu sau Alexandru Rogobete?". Noua reacție a lui Siegfried Mureșan după depunerea listei Cabinetului Niculescu - HotNews.ro · original in Romanian
  • Mediafax.ro20 h agoSiegfried Mureșan criticizes the list of PSD ministers in the Niculescu Government: “We proposed much better ministers”Siegfried Mureșan critică lista miniștrilor PSD din Guvernul Niculescu: "Noi am propus miniștri mult mai buni · original in Romanian
  • Digi2420 h agoSiegfried Mureșan considers that the PSD ministers are weaker than those proposed by PNL: “Romania deserves a much better government”Siegfried Mureșan consideră că miniștrii PSD sunt mai slabi decât cei propuși de PNL: "România merită un guvern mult mai bun · original in Romanian
Siegfried Mureșan
PNL member of the European Parliament, former designated prime minister whose cabinet failed the investiture vote
Luca Niculescu
Designated prime minister whose proposed cabinet Mureșan criticised
Nicușor Dan
President of Romania who has made three prime ministerial nominations
Sorin Grindeanu
PSD leader, criticised by Mureșan for inventing pretexts to bring down his government
Ilie Bolojan
Leader of PNL who said the party will decide by the end of the week whether to vote for the Niculescu government

Pollar is free and carries no ads in the text. Its members keep it going.

Support Pollar

Published yesterday at 11:08.

Report an error in the text

Text generated by AI from the reports of the publishers listed and checked automatically, with no human editor. How Pollar is made

In this text

Mureșan's criticism of the new listMureșan's criticism of the new listWhy his cabinet fellWhy his cabinet fellAccusations against PSD and the path aheadAccusations against PSD and the path ahead

Where

Bucharest

Based on reports by

Libertatea, HotNews.ro, Mediafax.ro, Digi24, Ziare.com

List of sources

Government · Bucharest

Mureșan says PSD ministers in Niculescu's cabinet lag behind his rejected team

Siegfried Mureșan, whose own cabinet failed in Parliament, says the PSD ministers in Luca Niculescu's proposed government are weaker than the team he put forward two weeks earlier, as PNL weighs its vote.

Bucharest
Bucharest · Romania

Ask about this text

Ask your own questionHow many votes did the Mureșan cabinet receive on 30 September 2026?When will PNL decide whether to vote for the Niculescu government?

AI text based on reports by Libertatea, HotNews.ro, Mediafax.ro and other publishers. Published yesterday at 11:08. How it is made