Ilie Bolojan’s interim government faces parliamentary deadlock over PNRR reforms

Romanian political parties are locked in a stalemate that threatens the implementation of the National Recovery and Resilience Plan (PNRR). The Bolojan‑led interim government has completed the third revision of the PNRR and prepared the €2 billion Payment Request No. 5, but the Social Democratic Party (PSD) has refused to vote on the remaining reform bills, citing a “blackmail” of the funding. Liberal leaders such as Siegfried Mureșan and Siegfried Mureșan (re‑posted) have publicly urged PSD to return from vacation and support the legislation, emphasizing that the pending €4.5 billion would finance highways, rail upgrades, schools, nurseries and hospitals.

Internal dissent within the National Liberal Party (PNL) has further complicated the crisis. County Council presidents Alin Tișe and Rareș Bogdan announced the creation of a “Liberal‑Conservative Platform” inside PNL, accusing party leader Ilie Bolojan of abandoning the party’s values and of forcing a legislative agenda that marginalises traditional liberal members. Former officials, including former CCR judge Petre Lăzăroiu, have accused Bolojan of pressuring parliament to pass laws he previously withheld.

The deadlock has drawn attention from the European Commission, as missed deadlines could jeopardise up to €20 billion in EU funds. Two official complaints have been filed with the government and the Ministry of Investments, warning that administrative delays could cut the absorption rate of funds from the reported 92 % to around 58 %. The situation has also set a record for the longest interim government since the 1989 revolution, with Bolojan’s cabinet surpassing the previous 71‑day benchmark.