AUR will not vote for a government led by Eugen Tomac, senator Petrișor Peiu announced, as political parties remain deadlocked over cabinet formation.

Peiu made the statement amid a push by the President for a technocrat administration. The President said parties "nu s-au înțeles" — have not reached agreement — in remarks justifying the call for a non-partisan cabinet.

Tomac, president of the PMP party, received 1.8 per cent of votes in the last elections, per official results. He currently serves as an advisor to Bucharest mayor Nicușor Dan.

Critics have drawn parallels between the current situation and the authoritarian regime of King Carol II. One unnamed source compared Tomac to Guță Tătărescu, who led a government under Carol II and was described by Alexandru Vaida Voievod as a figure who "râde cînd regele râde și plânge când regele e întristat" — laughs when the king laughs and cries when the king is saddened.

The same source said Nicușor Dan's administration resembles Carol II's authoritarian practices. The President's statement calling for a technocrat government was described by another unnamed source as endangering democracy.

"The President's statement is immoral and dictatorial," the source said. Governments result from parliamentary majorities, not from one person's will, the source added.

Tomac is not a technocrat but a party activist, another unnamed source said. His career was supported by former President Traian Băsescu, the source added. Băsescu, who served as President from 2004 to 2014, was identified in declassified files as a Securitate informant under the code name "Petrov."

The President's call for a technocrat cabinet has intensified debate over constitutional procedure. If no parliamentary majority can be formed, early elections are the alternative under Romanian law, not the appointment of a government by presidential decree.

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One unnamed source said Nicușor Dan misunderstands democratic principles. Power should not be seized by one person, the source said.

Peiu, a former PSD member with ties to ex-Prime Minister Adrian Năstase, told reporters AUR's position is rooted in the principle that governments must reflect parliamentary majorities. The party will not support a cabinet that lacks a mandate from voters, he said.

Tomac's PMP holds no seats in the current Parliament under its own name, having failed to cross the five per cent threshold in the last legislative elections. The party's 1.8 per cent result placed it well outside the range required for independent representation.

The President's proposal has not been formally submitted to Parliament. No vote date has been announced. AUR holds 33 seats in the 330-member Chamber of Deputies and 15 seats in the 136-member Senate, per the results of the last elections.

The deadlock follows weeks of negotiations among the four largest parliamentary parties — PSD, PNL, USR, and AUR — over cabinet posts and policy priorities. No agreement has been reached on a prime minister acceptable to all sides.

Peiu's statement marks the first formal rejection of the Tomac proposal by a parliamentary party. PSD, PNL, and USR have not issued public positions on the President's call for a technocrat government.

The President's office did not respond to questions about the constitutional basis for appointing a prime minister without parliamentary support. The Constitution requires the President to designate a candidate after consulting with parties represented in Parliament, but the candidate must win a confidence vote in both chambers.

Without AUR's 48 votes across both chambers, any government proposal faces a narrower path to the required majority. A simple majority in each chamber is needed for investiture — 166 votes in the Chamber of Deputies and 69 in the Senate.

The next procedural step is unclear. The President has not announced whether he will formally nominate Tomac or seek an alternative candidate. Parliament remains in session, with the constitutional deadline for government formation set at 60 days from the start of the legislative term.