Romanian President Nicușor Dan has appointed Ilie Bolojan, leader of the pro-European liberal party (PNL), as the country’s new prime minister following weeks of political uncertainty.
Bolojan, currently serving as Senate president and head of the PNL, will now face the challenge of stabilizing Romania’s troubled finances and ending years of uncertainty.
His nomination follows the annulment of December’s presidential elections, a dramatic event that threw the country into turmoil amid allegations of Russian interference. A rerun of the vote in May saw Dan claim victory.
In an official address announcing the appointment, President Dan said Bolojan was the person “best suited to make the necessary adjustments in the Romanian state apparatus.”
Dan has repeatedly warned that Romania is at a “turning point,” grappling with a steep budget deficit that reached 9.3 percent at the end of last year, which is the highest in the European Union.
Speaking at a press conference last week, Bolojan acknowledged the difficulties ahead. “Romania was in a complicated situation,” he said, noting that the incoming government would need to adopt “unpopular measures” such as cutting public spending and possibly raising taxes.
