Prime Minister-designate Siegfried Muresan said on Saturday that if the PSD (Social Democratic Party) does not vote for his government, the political crisis will deepen and pave the way for snap elections, which can be called at any time by the President of Romania.

Muresan said he was 'looking forward' to having a 'serious, constructive discussion' with the PSD leadership.

'The decree appointing me was published in the Official Journal on Monday. On Tuesday, I met with the PNL and USR (Save Romania Union) parliamentary groups, and on Wednesday with the UDMR (Democratic Union of Hungarians of Romania) parliamentary group. All three parliamentary groups fully confirmed their support for the cabinet. We worked together on the government programme, and the ministers representing these three parties form the Government of Romania. We have 170 votes from these three parties and parliamentary groups. We have also held discussions with the parliamentary group representing national minorities, with whom we agreed to meet again at the beginning of next week,' the Prime Minister-designate said after submitting the government programme and list of ministers to Parliament.

He said the government programme he was proposing gave the PSD reasons to vote for the government.

'The real test next week will indeed be for the PSD. At this point, they bear responsibility for resolving Romania's political crisis. We have presented a pro-European government with concrete measures, including in the area of social policies, because pro-European centre and centre-right parties such as ours obviously also have solutions to social problems. These should not be the monopoly of socialist or social-democratic parties. So, after carefully analysing the government programme, I am convinced that the PSD has substantial reasons to vote for this government,' Siegfried Muresan added.

He said that if the PSD did not vote for the government, the political crisis would deepen.

'The PSD has an even greater responsibility than we do for the political situation we are in, having initiated and voted for the motion [of no confidence - editor's note] at the beginning of the year. And I am convinced that if the PSD votes for this government, we can have a proper relationship in Parliament with the MPs representing the PSD. If they do not vote for this government, the crisis will deepen, paving the way for snap elections, which can be called at any time by the President of Romania,' the Prime Minister-designate said.

He also said he wanted a civilised dialogue with the Social Democrats.

'We will hold serious discussions with them in the coming days, giving this parliamentary cooperation a chance. We know that there are many things that separate us from the PSD, but we also know that, for Romania's political stability, it is good for this government to pass, and we are prepared for a respectful and civilised dialogue with them,' Siegfried Muresan said.

He also said that PSD leader Sorin Grindeanu was away from Bucharest and that he would meet him as soon as he returned.

'I sent him the main guidelines of the government programme as early as the middle of this week. They already correspond to a significant extent to a serious and responsible vision, including in the area of social policies, and I will personally send President Grindeanu the full government programme today, with all 372 measures. And, I repeat, I am glad and look forward to having a serious, constructive discussion with the PSD leadership,' Muresan added. AGERPRES (RO - writing by: Alina Novaceanu;