The Ciucă Cabinet () was the 132nd government of Romania led by former Romanian Land Forces army general Nicolae Ciucă (PNL; also current PNL president) from 25 November 2021 to 12 June 2023.

The grand coalition forming the government, consisting of Social Democratic Party (PSD), National Liberal Party (PNL), and Democratic Alliance of Hungarians in Romania (UDMR/RMDSZ), is also referred to as the National Coalition for Romania (, CNR). The Social Liberal Humanist Party also received lower-level positions in the government.

Since the cabinet's investment, Romania experienced a shift towards authoritarianism and illiberalism. Under Ciucă's premiership, Romania experienced democratic backsliding, with The Economist ranking it last in the European Union in the world terms of democracy, even behind Viktor Orbán's Hungary. During Ciucă's premiership, the freedom of the press in Romania declined, according to World Press Freedom Index (from 75.09 in 2021 to 69.04 in 2023).

Background and formation

On 1 September 2021, the PNL, then-prime minister Florin Cîțu and still incumbent president Klaus Iohannis triggered the 2021 Romanian political crisis by the sacking of former justice minister Stelian Ion, preceded by a scandal between the PNL and their former coalition partners, the progressive-liberal USR PLUS (from which Ion stemmed), on the so-called Anghel Saligny investment program (or "PNDL 3", as it is also known). The remaining USR ministers eventually resigned on their own, and the Cîțu Cabinet, which preceded the Ciucă Cabinet, was dismissed on 5 October through a motion of no confidence, with a record number of votes on behalf of USR, PSD, and AUR.

The prime minister candidate, who is designated by the president, has to request the investiture vote/vote of confidence from the legislature within 10 days from being appointed. On 11 October, President Iohannis designated Dacian Cioloș of the USR to form the next government, but his government was subsequently rejected by the parliament. Nicolae Ciucă of PNL was designated for the same position on 20 October, but eventually submitted his term. At that time, he was ordered by the PNL to convene negotiations only for a PNL-UDMR minority government, which is a form of government that was not accepted by a party other than PNL and UDMR.

The national-liberals resorted to negotiations with the largest party in the parliament, the Social Democratic Party (PSD) in the prospect of forming a majority government with full powers, but they quickly reached a deadlock. The PSD, who were the main opposition party against the cabinets formed around the PNL up to this point, wanted the office of Prime Minister, but the PNL refused to cede the office and strongly desired that the office be occupied by a PNL member, which happened with the re-designation of Nicolae Ciucă by President Iohannis on 22 November, one day after the negotiations ended.

The cabinet hearings took place on 24 November. The Ciucă Cabinet was sworn in on 25 November.

Technological initiatives The cabinet has shown support for some technological projects such as: nuclear energy by small modular nuclear reactors through a partnership with the US firm NuScale Power, electric vehicle development by a group of investors from Cluj and green energy projects. The cabinet also supports the Anghel Saligny investment program.

Composition

The Ciucă Cabinet was a grand coalition government consisting of the Social Democratic Party (PSD), the National Liberal Party (PNL) and the Democratic Alliance of Hungarians in Romania (UDMR/RMDSZ). Some positions within the government are set to rotate between the PSD and the PNL, more specifically the prime minister, the secretary-general of the government, and the ministries of interior, justice, finance, and defense. The next shuffle was originally planned to take place by 1 June 2023, though this was delayed on 26 May following a general strike in the Romanian education system that began a few days earlier.

PositionMinisterPartyDate sworn inLeft officeHome countyPrime Minister()Nicolae CiucăPNL 25 November 202112 June 2023DoljCătălin Predoiu (acting)12 June 202315 June 2023BuzăuDeputy Prime Minister()Sorin GrindeanuPSD 25 November 202115 June 2023Caraș-SeverinKelemen HunorUDMR 25 November 202115 June 2023HarghitaSecretary-General of the Government()Marian NeacșuPSD 7 December 202115 June 2023IalomițaMinister of Foreign Affairs()Bogdan AurescuPNL 25 November 202115 June 2023BucharestMinister of Internal Affairs()Lucian Bode 25 November 202115 June 2023SălajMinister of Agriculture and Rural Development()Adrian ChesnoiuPSD 25 November 2021 23 June 2022Olt Sorin Grindeanu (acting) 23 June 2022 8 July 2022Caraș-Severin Petre Daea 8 July 202215 June 2023MehedințiMinister of National Defence()Vasile DîncuPSD 25 November 2021 24 October 2022Bistrița-NăsăudNicolae Ciucă (acting) PNL 24 October 2022 31 October 2022DoljAngel Tîlvăr PSD 31 October 202215 June 2023VranceaMinister of Research, Innovation and Digitalisation()Florin RomanPNL 25 November 2021 15 December 2021AlbaVirgil Popescu (acting)15 December 202128 January 2022MehedințiMarcel Boloș28 January 20223 May 2022ClujSebastian Burduja3 May 202215 June 2023BucharestMinister of Culture()Lucian RomașcanuPSD 25 November 202115 June 2023BuzăuMinister of Development, Public Works and Administration()Cseke AttilaUDMR 25 November 202115 June 2023BihorMinister of Education()Sorin CîmpeanuPNL 25 November 2021 29 September 2022BucharestLigia Deca3 October 202215 June 2023HunedoaraMinister of Energy()Virgil PopescuPNL 25 November 202115 June 2023MehedințiMinister of Economy()Florin SpătaruPSD 25 November 202115 June 2023GalațiMinister of Labour and Social Solidarity()Marius BudăiPSD 25 November 202115 June 2023BotoșaniMinister of Environment, Water and Forests() Tánczos BarnaUDMR 25 November 202115 June 2023HarghitaMinister of Transport and Infrastructure()Sorin GrindeanuPSD 25 November 202115 June 2023Caraș-SeverinMinister of Finance()Adrian CâciuPSD 25 November 202115 June 2023BucharestMinister of Justice()Cătălin PredoiuPNL 25 November 202115 June 2023BuzăuMinister of Health()Alexandru RafilaPSD 25 November 202115 June 2023Bucharest Minister of Investments and European Projects()Dan Vîlceanu PNL 25 November 2021 7 April 2022GorjMarcel Boloș3 May 202215 June 2023ClujMinister of Sport()Eduard NovakUDMR 25 November 202115 June 2023HarghitaMinister of Family, Youth and Equality of Opportunity()Gabriela FireaPSD 25 November 202115 June 2023BacăuMinister of Entrepreneurship and Tourism()Constantin CadariuPNL 25 November 202115 June 2023Suceava

Party breakdown

Party breakdown of cabinet members on the date of dissolution:

Social Democratic Party (PSD) = 1 Deputy Prime Minister and Minister, 1 Secretary-General of the Government and 8 ministers10 National Liberal Party (PNL) = 1 Prime Minister and 8 ministers9 Democratic Alliance of Hungarians in Romania (UDMR/RMDSZ) = 1 Deputy Prime Minister and 3 ministers4

References