Romania’s Liberal PM Calin Popescu Tariceanu announced on Sunday that he would come before the Parliament for a vote of approval for a new government formula that would not include the Liberal Party’s (PNL) allies in the current Executive, the Democrats (PD). The future government will be formed around the PNL with some portfolios going to the Hungarian Democrats (UDMR).

If rumors of a silent pact with the opposition Social Democrats prove true, this will lead the government to a formula which was pressed for by influential Liberal oil mogul Dinu Patriciu in 2004.

In his televised speech today, where he talked directly to the people, whom he called “dear Romanians”, Tariceanu also attacked President Traian Basescu. The prime minister accused him of placing personal political interests above the national interest and of ruining the D.A. Alliance formed of PNL and PD, which has governed since the 2004 elections.

The announcement came less than a week since Tariceanu proclaimed the “death” of the D.A. alliance.

A government formed by PNL with UDMR support would be a minority government that would need the approval of the main opposition party - the Social Democrats (PSD), to survive in Parliament.

According to PSD sources, the PSD would support the new government. That responds to the political plans of an influential Liberal politician, Dinu Patriciu, who contributed to the campaigns of both PSD - then run by ex-President Ion Iliescu - and PNL in the 2004 elections.

Dinu Patriciu has faced a series of investigations into organized crime and insider information allegations over the past two years.

The new formula would also be one without popular PD representatives such as Justice minister Monica Macovei, which has been drawing considerable approval from Brussels for her efforts to reform the Romanian Justice sector and fight corruption.

Tariceanu dismissed the idea of early elections as such a poll “would be a solution for one or two politicians, but a disaster for Romania. It would be a signal of uncertainty that Romania would send to officials in Brussels”.

“It is time that someone have the courage to state clearly that the D.A. Alliance lacks the resources to move on. As the prime minister of Romania, I am the first who has to admit this truth”, he said.