Prime Minister-designate Siegfried Muresan on Monday criticised the Social Democratic Party (PSD) leadership for deciding not to support his proposed government before seeing its programme or holding talks, saying the move would prolong Romania's political crisis.

Muresan said PSD has a choice between supporting his proposed government and breaking the political deadlock, or rejecting it and prolonging the crisis.

'Before seeing our governing programme and before any dialogue has taken place on Romania's priorities, the PSD leadership has already instructed its party members not to support the government we are proposing. Through this message, the party's current leadership is signalling that it does not want to resolve the political crisis we are in,' Muresan wrote on Facebook.

According to him, 'the governing priorities have a clear ultimate goal which, under normal circumstances, PSD should also support: a sustainable, long-term increase in Romanians' standard of living'.

The prime minister-designate said the governing programme he is currently working on would include measures to reform state-owned companies so that they benefit people rather than 'consume Romanians' money to finance party sinecures', as well as a strong and efficient public administration providing services to European standards.

He also pledged predictable, professional government based on clear rules, without changes 'from one day to the next dictated by party interests', and responsible use of public money to provide the resources needed to improve people's standard of living.

Muresan said another priority would be strengthening security, arguing that prosperity could only be guaranteed if Romanians felt safe and that investors would come to Romania only if the country was secure and stable.

The programme would also seek to give Romania a stronger voice at European level.

'A stronger voice at European level, because the major challenges we face - defence and security, the rise of artificial intelligence, competitiveness and tackling climate change - can only be addressed at European level. No European state can manage these challenges alone. And European decisions on these priorities can be influenced in Romania's interests only if we have a government capable of making its voice heard in Europe,' Muresan said.

According to Muresan, Romania needs a government and PSD has a choice to make.

'We have no more time to lose. Romania needs a government. PSD has a choice: support this government, which will break the political deadlock in less than a week; reject the government and indefinitely prolong the crisis it triggered five months ago through a no-confidence motion,' Siegfried Muresan said.

PSD's National Standing Bureau decided on Monday not to support the government to be formed by Prime Minister-designate Siegfried Muresan.

PSD chairman Sorin Grindeanu said the recommendation not to support the Muresan government would be submitted to the National Political Council, the party's statutory decision-making body on the matter.

'Today's decision was taken unanimously,' Grindeanu said. AGERPRES (RO - writing by: Alina Novaceanu; EN - writing by: Simona Iacob)