BUCHAREST, Romania (AP) — Romanian President Nicusor Dan nominated Liberal European lawmaker Siegfried Muresan on Thursday to be prime minister as he seeks to end a monthslong political crisis after his previous two picks failed.
Dan nominated the 44-year-old member of the European Parliament and the center-right National Liberal Party, or PNL, to try to form a government. Dan made two nominations in June after a no-confidence vote toppled Prime Minister Ilie Bolojan in May.
“We are more than four months after the government was dismissed … and during this period, we have had hundreds of hours of discussions, both together and separately, with political parties to find a solution to this crisis,” Dan said at the presidential Cotroceni Palace in the capital, Bucharest. “Romania needs a government.”
“I chose to designate for the position of prime minister the person who has the most votes cast today by the parties in the consultations today. This person is Siegfried Muresan,” he added. “We do not have a clear majority, despite all these hours of discussions.”
Shortly after his nomination, Muresan said in a Facebook post, “I accept the proposal made by the president of Romania.”
Dan said Muresan’s experience in the European Parliament qualifies him for the premiership. Muresan became an MEP in 2014, and is vice chair of the European People’s Party group in the European Parliament.
Muresan has 10 days to present a cabinet to Parliament.
When the previous coalition came to power in June 2025, its priority was to reduce the budget deficit, but Bolojan found himself frequently at loggerheads with PSD over austerity measures.
Bolojan was sworn in with the aim of ending one of Romania’s worst political crises in its post-Communist history but was ousted after a motion was submitted by the PSD, which was part of the coalition, and the nationalist opposition Alliance for the Unity of Romanians party. He has remained prime minister in an interim capacity since.
Sorin Grindeanu, leader of the opposition Social Democratic Party, or PSD, said Thursday that he noted with “surprise and disappointment” Dan's nomination and that he had convened his party’s National Permanent Bureau for a meeting on Monday to “carefully analyze” the proposal.
“It is difficult to understand the reasoning behind the head of state’s choice of someone like Muresan,” he said in a Facebook post. “Romania, however, finds itself in an extremely difficult situation.”
Between 2000 and 2004, Muresan studied at Bucharest’s Academy of Economic Studies, and then took a Master’s program in Economics and Management Science at Humboldt University in Berlin. Before becoming an MEP, he was an adviser to the EPP.
Dan had previously nominated Adrian Vestea for the premiership, but his proposal for a government was rejected by Parliament. Before him, Eugen Tomac withdrew before a vote in Parliament.
Cristian Andrei, a Bucharest-based political consultant, says there is little chance Muresan’s nomination will lead to a majority among Romania’s pro-European parties and that he expects “further political stalemate.”
“The center-right coalition around Muresan has very little chance to win the support of the Parliament,” he told The Associated Press. “But it also opens the door for a future collaboration between the Social Democrats and the populists. … The president is putting blame on the political parties for not being able to create such a majority.”
The prime ministerial position was set to be rotated in 2027 from Bolojan to a PSD premier as part of a power-sharing agreement. A general election is scheduled for 2028.
———
McGrath reported from Leamington Spa, England.
Romanian President Nicusor Dan arrives for a press statement to announce the nomination of European Parliament member Siegfried Muresan as Prime Minister designate in Bucharest, Romania, Thursday, Sept. 17, 2026. (AP Photo/Vadim Ghirda)
Romanian President Nicusor Dan grimaces while announcing the nomination of European Parliament member Siegfried Muresan as Prime Minister designate in Bucharest, Romania, Thursday, Sept. 17, 2026. (AP Photo/Andreea Alexandru)
PHOENIX--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Nov 2, 2026--
Nine U-Haul ® Companies in Arizona are offering 30 days of free self-storage and U-Box ® container use at 94 stores to residents impacted by the severe flooding that occurred statewide over the weekend.
This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20261102628764/en/
Heavy rains that fell Friday through Sunday caused flash flooding and sent rivers and creeks over their banks across much of Arizona, from the Phoenix and Tucson metros to Flagstaff, Prescott, Sedona and the White Mountains.
Flooding has prompted multiple evacuations and water rescues, and Prescott declared a state of emergency. Countless residential and business properties have sustained water damage.
Access to self-storage units and portable storage containers is essential to communities when natural disasters strike. U-Haul is ready to help anyone in Arizona impacted by the flooding who needs a dry, secure storage solution at no cost for one month.
The 30 days free offer applies to new self-storage and U-Box rentals and is based on availability. The U-Box offer is for on-site storage at participating facilities; delivery is available for a modest fee.
Please reference the city list below for U-Haul locations offering the disaster relief program. Stop by any U-Haul-owned and -operated facility in these cities or call the nearest regional office to arrange 30 days of free storage.
U-Haul Co. of East Valley
Store locations (8): Chandler, Gilbert, Queen Creek, Sun Lakes
(480) 899-1461
U-Haul Co. of Eastern Arizona
Store locations (16): Apache Junction, Globe, Mesa, Tempe
(480) 347-9199
U-Haul Co. of Metro Phoenix
Store locations (12): Fountain Hills, Phoenix, Scottsdale
(602) 977-0519
U-Haul Co. of Northern Arizona
Store locations (12): Cottonwood, Flagstaff, Kingman, Lakeside, Prescott
(928) 515-2395
U-Haul Co. of Northwest Phoenix
Store locations (10): Anthem, Glendale, Peoria, Phoenix, Surprise, Wickenburg
(602) 383-2167
U-Haul Co. of Southeast Arizona
Store locations (11): Sahuarita, Sierra Vista, Thatcher, Tucson
(520) 829-5112
U-Haul Co. of Southern Arizona
Store locations (10): Marana, Tucson
(520) 575-5360
U-Haul Co. of Southwest Arizona
Store locations (9): Ahwatukee, Casa Grande, Laveen, Phoenix, Yuma
(602) 243-4354
U-Haul Co. of Western Arizona
Store locations (18): Glendale, Goodyear, Litchfield Park, Phoenix
(888) 472-9651
In addition to its 30 days free self-storage disaster relief program, U-Haul is proud to be at the forefront of aiding communities in times of need as an official American Red Cross Disaster Responder.
For customers needing storage beyond the free period, the U-Haul 1-Year Price Lock is now available at 2,100 Company-owned facilities across the U.S. and Canada. Fixed-rate storage ensures at least 12 months with no price increase on your rental unit, and U-Haul never charges admin fees or deposits. Learn more at uhaul.com/Storage/1-Year-Price-Lock.
About U-HAUL
Founded in 1945, U-Haul is the No. 1 choice of do-it-yourself movers with more than 25,000 rental locations across all 50 states and 10 Canadian provinces. The U-Haul app makes it easy for customers to use U-Haul Truck Share 24/7 to access trucks anytime through the self-dispatch and -return options on their smartphones with our patented Live Verify technology. Our customers’ patronage has enabled the U-Haul fleet to grow to approximately 207,600 trucks, 136,500 trailers and 43,200 towing devices. U-Haul, which offers rate transparency to self-storage customers through its 1-Year Price Lock, is the third largest storage operator in North America with 1,147,300 rentable storage units and 100.3 million square feet of self-storage space at owned and managed facilities. U-Haul is the top retailer of propane in the U.S. and the largest installer of permanent trailer hitches in the automotive aftermarket industry. For more than 80 years, orange has been an iconic and recognizable color in moving and storage, signifying U-Haul products and services and the quality, affordability, and convenience they provide. Get the U-Haul app from theApp StoreorGoogle Play.
Nine U-Haul® Companies in Arizona are offering 30 days of free self-storage and U-Box® container use at 94 stores to residents impacted by the severe flooding that occurred statewide over the weekend.
