President Klaus Iohannis nominated on Tuesday, the leader of the Social Democratic Party (PSD), Marcel Ciolacu, as the candidate for the office of prime minister, inviting him to create a new government.
After consultations with the parliamentary parties, Iohannis invited Ciolacu to create a new government of the coalition formed by social-democrats and liberals but negotiation with the Hungarian minority party failed on Tuesday evening.
UDMR insisted on keeping the Ministry of Development, but the liberals also wanted this portfolio, so they were offered the Ministry of Energy instead. UDMR refused the proposal and will not be part of the new government.
”Mr prime minister-designate, I wish you good luck in your negotiations for the creation of the government and I am looking forward to your swearing-in ceremony,” Iohannis said, adding that he hoped the new government would be formed ”in the shortest time possible”.
Iohannis said that the rotation of prime ministers is a new model for Romania, which functioned very well.
“Romania has been facing several crises, which were dealt with and solved by the coalition and the government. Romania overcame the energy crisis, the inflation crisis, we have economic growth, and all these are the result of the hard work of the government. No results like these come out of nowhere”, Iohannis said.
While former prime minister Ciuca was elected on Tuesday as the new president of the Senate, Ciolacu said the new government should obtain the investiture vote in parliament by Thursday.
On Wednesday, the proposed ministers will go to the parliament. There are some new names on the list of the proposed ministers, including Luminita Odobescu, presidential advisor and former Permanent Representative of Romania to the European Union will replace Bogdan Aurescu as minister of foreign affairs.
The future government will focus on the economy and reforms, Ciolacu said.
The governance program will also include an important external component. According to the cited sources, the government led by Ciolacu aims to establish a regional hub on the Black Sea.
At the same time, the government intends for Romania to become a hub for the defence industry in NATO and the EU, in the context of the war in Ukraine.
The reconstruction of Ukraine and very strong support for the Republic of Moldova will be other priorities of the new government.
(Catalina Mihal | EURACTIV.ro)
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