Currently, Romania does not need a political crisis, it needs political stability, Prime Minister Ilie Bolojan said on Monday evening.

He was asked in a Digi 24 broadcast what he would do if the Social Democratic Party (PSD), after 20 April, asked him to step down from the helm of Government.

'I have been asked such hypothetical questions before. Any party in the coalition, if it considers it is not satisfied with what is happening, can act constitutionally or politically, by introducing motions of no confidence, withdrawing its ministers, taking the measures allowed by the parliamentary or governmental system. They can do these things. No problem at all,' Ilie Bolojan mentioned.

Asked what would happen if the PSD ministers resigned from the Government, Prime Minister Ilie Bolojan replied: 'We will see if that happens. In any case, Romania at the moment does not need a political crisis overlapping the budgetary crisis, which cannot be solved overnight, and which coincides with the crises arising from the wars we are dealing with, in the Gulf, in Ukraine and so on. Thus, that is the last thing we need, but this is not a plea for holding a position, it is simply out of responsibility for our country. As long as I hold this office, I will do what is necessary for Romania.'

The Prime Minister did not rule out the possibility of a political crisis in the coming period, based on PSD's actions, but explained that the issue is not about the departure of one person from a position, but about resolving broader challenges.

'It is possible that we will face a crisis in the coming period. That is the situation. However, the real problem is the following: one person, a minister, a prime minister, can leave. The issue we face is that the serious problems that led us to this situation require solutions. They do not disappear if one person or another leaves. How can I put it, if there is no solution, if no discussion is taking place about solutions, what would we do in that situation, what would our ideas be, from which budgets would we resolve certain issues or others, these are the real, fundamental problems, and of course, we will see in the coming period how things develop,' Bolojan explained.

In this context, he was also asked whether the National Liberal Party (PNL) would accept replacing him as Prime Minister with another leader from the party.

'The PNL has expressed its position on this matter, stating that we have observed all political agreements that were concluded. Everything decided within the coalition was done based on a joint decision, based on the project assumed by the entire coalition. Therefore, from this point of view, there has been no breach of protocol or anything of the sort. If a party decides to change its minister or prime minister, then that decision must come from that party. If the PSD generates a crisis on this issue, it is hard to assume that the PNL would remain in a coalition with the PSD,' Ilie Bolojan said.

The Prime Minister also dismissed the idea of a minority Government when asked if he felt prepared for such a scenario.

'Romania does not need a minority Government at the moment. Romania needs political stability, because the decisions we must take in the coming period regarding the absorption of European funds, investments, and the milestones which we have to meet require a stable Government, with people fully focused on resolving these issues, otherwise, in the summer, we will be discussing who is responsible for the money Romania has lost from the PNRR [the National Recovery and Resilience Plan],' Ilie Bolojan said.

He underscored that 'demanding the replacement of one person or another out of political arrogance, or as a political manoeuvre, without considering the effects it generates and what you put in its place, and what needs to be done to solve the problems, means you have miscalculated your actions.' AGERPRES (RO - writing by: Daniel Florea; EN - writing by: Rodica State)