Romania’s president has appointed a Member of European Parliament to lead a technocratic government in a bid to end weeks of political disarray and economic anxiety following the collapse of the country’s centrist coalition.

President Nicușor Dan designated the liberal Renew Europe MEP Eugen Tomac as prime minister, on the grounds that none of the party leaders in Romania’s fractious parliament could form a stable administration.

That, the president said, left him no option but to bring in an independent outsider to run a new “technical” government.

“Because the parties do not agree with each other, the only possible solution is a prime minister who is independent of the parties in parliament, who will succeed through individual discussions with each of these parties to lead Romania in the direction Romanians want,” Dan said on Thursday. “This means a pro-Western direction, this means preserving financial stability.” 

Tomac, a former historian and journalist who has advised Dan on the interests of Romanians abroad, now has 10 days to assemble a cabinet, draw up a government program, and win the backing of parliament.

Tomac said he would lead a “technical government, not a political one” and present a “professional” team of “specialists” who can steer the country in the right direction. 

“I fully understand the difficult context we are going through,” he said. “Romania is in a moment that demands, first of all, responsibility. This is the only way we can give Romania the clear direction we need.” 

The appointment of Tomac comes a month after Romanian politics plunged into crisis with the ousting of the centrist government, a move that stoked fears of a downgrade by credit rating agencies and the potential loss of EU funds.

Talks between Dan and political leaders in the weeks since have failed to produce an agreement on a new power-sharing deal between the major parties in parliament. 

Romania has seen a surge in support for far-right and nationalist politicians in recent years. Dan won the presidency just over a year ago, only after a tense run-off against hard-right eurosceptic leader George Simion, who was instrumental in bringing down the coalition on May 5. 

Dan, an independent centrist, has vowed not to work with Simion’s side because he believes his mandate requires him to keep Romania on its pro-Western, pro-European path. 

Siegfried Mureșan, a senior MEP and vice president of the center-right European People’s Party, raised concern that Tomac’s administration would lack legitimacy.

“The Romanian President has designated the leader of a non-parliamentary party to form the next government,” he posted on X. “Governing in a democracy requires transparency and legitimacy, which can only be provided through popular support expressed in parliamentary elections. Non-transparent governance fuels populism, and that is not what we need in these times.”

Tomac has been a member of the European Parliament since 2019 and previously served in the Romanian Parliament. He has served as an adviser on Romanian diaspora affairs to previous governments in Bucharest and was previously an editor of a history journal and a history teacher.