The vote tallies stood at 18 in favor, 18 against, 2 abstentions, and 8 lawmakers registered as „present, not voting.” To secure a positive recommendation, he would have needed 22 votes in favor. Under these conditions, the specialized committees issued a negative recommendation. However, this outcome is non-binding, and the nominee proceeds to the full Parliament for the final investiture vote.
USR and PNL voted against the nominee, PSD voted in favor, and AUR opted for the „present, not voting” status, while UDMR abstained.
During the hearings, Romeo Lungu outlined his core goals, stating that the National Recovery and Resilience Plan (PNRR) represents his number one priority. His second priority centers on administrative reform.
„The administrative reform proposed by the previous government through abrupt, brutal layoffs or job cuts did not yield the intended results,” Lungu stated.
Addressing the need for additional hiring within local administrative units (UATs), Lungu highlighted severe understaffing in critical oversight bodies.
„At the State Inspectorate for Construction (ISC), there are very few employees. There is a massive volume of construction work across counties, yet they have fewer than ten staff members, making it impossible to cope,” Lungu noted, adding that „there is a staff shortage, and not only there.”
Furthermore, he pointed out similar vacancies in other regional oversight agencies. „At the Consumer Protection Agency (OPC), there are only three employees for the entire Buzău County. There are entire sectors and authorities facing major deficits,” Lungu stated.
The proposed cabinet led by Adrian Veștea faces the decisive parliamentary investiture vote on Monday evening.
