Veștea quickly rejected the threat, posting on Facebook that “I will not resign, regardless of the pressure being exerted on me.”
Without official party support, Veștea is expected to rely on dissident PNL lawmakers to reach the parliamentary majority needed to form a government. But Bolojan has also threatened to expel PNL lawmakers who vote for Veștea.
PNL Secretary-General Dan Motreanu said on Tuesday that “any PNL member who accepts the position of minister or prime minister [in Veștea’s government] without being mandated by the party will be expelled.”
If no new government is formed after 60 days and two failed investitures, Romania’s constitution allows the president to call for new elections. But given polls suggest a massive lead for the far-right Alliance for the Union of Romanians party, it’s a path Dan is unlikely to take.