On October 15, 2009, following the defeat of Emil Boc's government through a motion of no confidence, President Traian Băsescu nominated Croitoru to be Prime Minister of Romania.
The nomination was opposed by a majority of Parliament, which adopted a declaration asking for his withdrawal, and vowing support for the candidature of Klaus Iohannis.
[1] From September 2003 to July 2007, he was chief adviser of the International Monetary Fund's executive directorate for twelve primarily post-Communist countries.
[7] Just over a week later, President Traian Băsescu, citing the need for an individual well-versed in economic policy to steer Romania through the ongoing crisis,[8] nominated the politically independent Croitoru as Prime Minister in place of Emil Boc, whose cabinet fell after losing a motion of no confidence two days earlier.
The Youth and Sport, Small and Medium Enterprises, Tourism, Communications, and Regional Development Ministries were all slated to be folded into others, and the Relations with Parliament portfolio and post of Deputy Prime Minister were also eliminated in the proposal.
[20][21][22] All but two of the would-be ministers received negative recommendations from the parliamentary committees before which they appeared,[23] and on November 4, with opposition by the PNL, PSD and UDMR holding steady, the proposed cabinet was voted down on a tally of 189 in favour and 250 against.
[24] Following the vote, Croitoru announced that his mission was over, having chosen the best cabinet he could, and would remain as an adviser at the National Bank of Romania,[25] while an "irritated" Băsescu stated he would not name Iohannis, and would not give "moguls and oligarchs" such as Sorin Ovidiu Vântu and Dan Voiculescu the "satisfaction...of a government desired by them".