Ludovic Orban, leader of the main opposition National Liberal Party. (File photo: IC)

Romanian President Klaus Iohannis on Tuesday appointed Ludovic Orban, leader of the main opposition National Liberal Party, as prime minister, after the Social Democratic cabinet collapsed in a no-confidence vote on Thursday.

Iohannis made the decision after days of consultations with parliamentary parties when only the National Liberal Party came with concrete proposals for the prime minister's position and even the cabinet's composition.

"I am honored to assume this responsibility on behalf of the National Liberal Party," said Orban after being appointed to organize a new government.

"We will give the Romanians what they expect from us, namely honesty, competence, integrity, dedication in serving the public interest and solutions for the big problems that Romania faces today," he said.

Under the constitution, Orban has 10 days to form a government, and win a confidence vote in parliament.

Orban, 56, has been chairman of the National Liberal Party since June 2017. He was minister of transport from April 2007 to December 2008 and a member of the Romanian Chamber of Deputies from 2008 to 2016.

Last week, the Social Democratic government lost a no-confidence vote initiated by the National Liberal Party, after it was abandoned by its coalition partner in late August and became a parliamentary minority.