President Nicusor Dan invited the leaders of pro-European parties to the Cotroceni Palace on Monday for talks on the Security Action for Europe (SAFE) and the National Recovery and Resilience Plan (PNRR) programmes, the head of state announced on Saturday morning.

The invitation comes after the president signed the resignations of the Social Democratic Party (PSD) ministers and the proposals for interim ministers in the Government.

'I will continue to exercise my role as mediator. Therefore, I have invited, on Monday, the leaders of the four pro-European political parties and the leader of the parliamentary group of national minorities, for a technical and applied discussion on Romania's major programmes, such as the SAFE and the PNRR,' Nicusor Dan conveyed in a Facebook post.

Following the political crisis triggered by the PSD's withdrawal of political support for Prime Minister Ilie Bolojan, the head of state also held consultations on Wednesday at the Cotroceni Palace with governing coalition parties, after which he noted their readiness to cooperate on key projects for Romania in the coming period - the accession to the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) and the implementation of the SAFE and the PNRR programmes.

'Beyond this political crisis, we must also say and assure Romanians that we have state institutions that are functioning. We are a functional state, with a difference of opinion at political level. Romania's pro-Western direction is not being called into question. Each of the parties that came today and the national minorities explicitly stated that they rule out governing with anti-Western forces, namely the AUR [the Alliance for Romanians' Union] and each of them expressed their willingness to cooperate, especially on the essential projects which Romania has in the immediate period ahead: the OECD, the SAFE, the PNRR. So, stay calm and we will get through this,' President Dan conveyed on Wednesday evening in a press statement at the end of consultations with parties.

Nicusor Dan mentioned that these consultations at the Cotroceni Palace were informal, as at this stage of the political situation the Constitution does not grant the president any direct action powers in this regard.

On Monday, Romania entered a political crisis after the Social Democratic Party, a member of the governing coalition, decided to withdraw its support for Liberal Prime Minister Ilie Bolojan. AGERPRES (RO - writing by: Oana Ghita; EN - writing by: Rodica State)