Romania’s President Dan confronts deadlock as Russia shuts Romanian consulate

President Nicușor Dan said a minority, pro‑Western government is the most viable solution to end Romania’s political stalemate. He urged parliamentary parties to reach a parliamentary support agreement after the failure of Adrian Vestea’s cabinet and highlighted the need for a functional executive before the parliamentary recess. Dan also rejected claims that the AUR party is pro‑Western and stressed the importance of a stable, full‑mandate government to implement reforms and manage the PNRR funds.

In parallel, Russia announced the closure of Romania’s Consulate General in St Petersburg and declared the interim Romanian consul persona non grata. The Russian Foreign Ministry summoned Romanian Ambassador Cristian Istrate to inform him of the retaliatory measures, citing Romania’s expulsion of the Russian consul in Constanța and the shutdown of the Russian consulate there after a Russian drone crashed into a building in Galaţi, injuring two citizens. The Romanian Ministry of Foreign Affairs called the Russian response “predictable” and the president said Romania would not issue a reciprocal response.