The Social Democrats will decide on Sunday, within the National Political Council scheduled for 16:00, whether they will join the Government proposed by Adrian Vestea.

The Social Democratic Party (PSD) requested a series of measures to support parliamentary backing for the future Executive, to be included in the governing programme.

'We have nothing against Adrian Vestea, but we informed him that the PSD decision to enter or not will not be delayed, because in the coming days we must convene the party's statutory bodies. We need to discuss the governing programme extensively. Today, I informed my colleagues that, in principle, I would like to conclude all these internal debates on Sunday afternoon, hold a National Political Council and take the decision on whether we enter the Government led by Adrian Vestea or not. For us it is very important to discuss a Government quickly. It is important for Romanians, beyond the personal egos of one or another. Romania needs a Government,' PSD leader Sorin Grindeanu said on Thursday, at the end of a meeting of the PSD parliamentary groups.

Grindeanu explained that the PSD is analysing 'everything related to the governing programme.'

In order to secure parliamentary support from the PSD, the future Cabinet must include in its governing programme a series of key measures aimed at protecting the population and boosting economic recovery:

* ending austerity measures, namely halting the increase of the tax burden on low and middle income households and small entrepreneurs. Fiscal and budgetary balancing measures must focus primarily on stimulating investment and the development of economic activity that generates higher revenues for the state budget;

* an anti-inflation package, namely protecting the purchasing power of vulnerable social groups through an increase in the minimum wage and pension indexation, support for mothers, veterans and people with disabilities, as well as the extension of the scheme limiting commercial mark-ups on essential food and non-food products that make up the minimum consumption basket;

* reducing school dropout rates through the expansion of the Hot Meal in Schools programme;

* genuine administrative reform aimed at more efficient services for citizens and reducing public spending by encouraging the administrative merger of small localities;

* debureaucratisation and administrative efficiency, through reducing by at least 25% the administrative burden on citizens and companies and by cutting authorisation deadlines by a minimum of 30%;

* unblocking the economy through the payment of the state's debts to companies;

* resuming economic stimulus in strategic sectors. We produce in Romania, we Invest in Romania: state guarantees for investment and working capital, subsidising interest rates in strategic sectors, supporting the domestic automotive industry by expanding the Rabla programme;

* support for Romanian agriculture and farmers through a credit programme with 80% of the interest subsidised. AGERPRES (RO - writing by: Georgiana Tanasescu; EN - writing by: Rodica State)