Siegfried Muresan nominated as prime minister of Romania

Romania's President Nicusor Dan has proposed European Parliament lawmaker Siegfried Muresan to the country's prime minister post, according to media reports Thursday.

Following consultations with parliamentary parties at Cotroceni Palace, Dan said he nominated 44-year-old politician Muresan as the new Romanian prime minister, broadcaster Antena 3 reported.

"We do not have a clear majority and under these conditions, I have chosen to propose for the position the person with the most votes he currently has in the consultations, Siegfried Muresan," the president was quoted by the broadcaster as saying.

Dan noted that he is convinced that Romania will remain on the "pro-Western path" and will fulfill its commitments, including those regarding the fiscal trajectory.

According to the report, Muresan was given time until 5 pm (1400GMT) local time to think about the president's proposal.

"I spoke with Mr. Muresan and he asked for some time to think, which I respect. It remains the first option for me and I am waiting for him to confirm or deny it before publishing the decree," he added.

"I accept the proposal made by the President of Romania," Muresan wrote in a post on the US Social media platform Facebook.

Romanian economist and politician Muresan has also been vice-president of the European People's Party (EPP) since November 2019.

This comes after the Romanian government, led by Ilie Bolojan, was ousted in a no-confidence vote in May.