Ilie Bolojan’s interim government faces PNRR reform deadlock

Romania’s interim cabinet led by Ilie Bolojan is confronting a stalemate over the remaining reforms required for the National Recovery and Resilience Plan (PNRR). Liberal lawmakers – including Siegfried Mureșan, Mihai Coteț, Alin Tișe and Ionuţ Stroe – have urged the Social Democratic Party (PSD) to end what they call “political shanty‑town” and vote for the pending reforms in an extraordinary parliamentary session, stressing that about €4.5 billion of EU funds for highways, railways, schools and hospitals are at risk.

The government has finalized the third revision of the PNRR and is preparing to submit Payment Request 5, valued at roughly €2 billion, to the European Commission. Officials warned that administrative delays and a lack of a decision on extending financing contracts could jeopardise the absorption rate, with some estimates dropping from the reported 92 % to around 58 %.

Within the National Liberal Party (PNL) internal tensions have surfaced. Alin Tișe announced the creation of a “Liberal‑Conservative Platform” inside the party, criticizing the current leadership as “owned by a few people”. Parallel statements from other PNL figures, such as Rareș Bogdan and Marcel Vela, echo concerns over party identity and governance.

Two formal complaints have been sent to Prime Minister Bolojan and Minister Dragoș Pîslaru highlighting procedural blockages that could impede project implementation and threaten the EU funding deadline of 31 August 2026.