Romanian president appoints dismissed Orban to form cabinet

Romanian President Klaus Iohannis on Thursday appointed freshly dismissed former prime minister Ludovic Orban, also leader of the National Liberal Party (PNL), to form a new government.

"After consulting with all parliamentary parties and groups, I appoint Mr. Ludovic Orban to form a new government," the president told a press briefing at the Cotroceni Presidential Palace.

Iohannis also emphasized that "early elections are my first option. I have presented to the parties this option."

Local analysts generally see the reappointment as another step towards the snap elections after the no-confidence vote on Wednesday in the parliament,

Under the constitution, the parliament can be dissolved and snap elections are held if two successive prime minister proposals or two successive government proposals fall in parliament.

Orban has 10 days to form a government, which still needs to win a confidence vote in parliament.

But it may not take that long for Orban as he had said before the appointment that he was "very pleased" with his cabinet team and he could continue "in the same formula" if he was appointed to form a new government.

According to Orban, the PNL lawmakers will participate in the procedures for the voting to provide quorum, but will not cast a vote in order to allow the dissolution of parliament and early elections being triggered.

Early on Thursday, the head of state invited the leaders of the parliamentary parties for consultations in order to pick a candidate for the position of prime minister, as the Orban government was dismissed late Wednesday through a no-confidence vote in the parliament.