The Union will have a vice-premier’s office and the ministries of Culture, and Environment, plus 14 state secretaries. In the Government, the premier also proposes a representative of PC and one of UNPR.
The political agreement of UDMR with PSD, UNPR and PC was signed yesterday at noon by PM Victor Ponta and UDMR president Kelemen Hunor, and will remain in effect until the next parliamentary elections. After signing the document, Ponta said that he has always appreciated the “competence and seriousness” of UDMR, when they were together in power or in the opposition. The premier added that in Romania, interethnic tensions exist only on TV.
The UDMR (Hungarian Democratic Union of Romania) President Kelemen Hunor had previously announced at the end of the UDMR Standing Council meeting that the UDMR will have a vice-premier position, two ministries and 14 state secretaries’ positions. The culture ministry will be headed by Kelemen Hunor, who will also be a vice premier too and the environment ministry will be headed by Attila Korodi. As for the state secretary offices, Kelemen explained that UDMR considered the proportion it has in the ruling coalition, which results in 14 state secretaries. “I noticed that, at present, Romania needs government stability and our contribution is very important, taking into consideration the whole situation in and around Romania,” Kelemen Hunor stated. “We accepted the ruling programme voted by the Parliament in 2012 and no new ruling programme must be voted anymore,” the UDMR leader mentioned.
The Hungarian leader added that he sees no argument for the new government being challenged at the Constitutional Court, as President Traian Basescu affirmed. He said that the ruling programme will not be modified “by one comma” so there is no reason for a complaint at the Constitutional Court. He also mentioned that UDMR has nothing to do with what happened to USL. “It is not me who registered USL, nor did I demolish USL, we had no contribution to what happened with USL,” the UDMR leader added.
“A young technocrat” from PC, “an experienced person” from UNPR
After a meeting of USD leaders, Premier Victor Ponta announced that they agree with the negotiations he had with UDMR and the deputies of minorities, mentioning that he will also propose for the cabinet “a young technocrat” from PC and “an experienced person” from UNPR. Ponta explained that, also yesterday, he signed an accord of parliamentary collaboration with the group of minorities in the Chamber of Deputies, regarding the support granted to the Government, adding that this was only an update of the agreement signed in 2012.
PNL to vote against new Gov’t
The National Liberal Party (PNL) will vote against the incoming Government in Parliament, PNL national leader Crin Antonescu said Monday. ‘The normal conduct is PNL attending the vote session and voting against,’ Antonescu said at Parliament Palace.
He added he will not challenge the incoming Government with the Constitutional Court of Romania (CCR).
On the other hand, Antonescu considers that Premier Victor Ponta is not constrained by the Constitution to resign from office, so there is no support for the statements made by Traian Basescu, but PNL demanded the resignation of Ponta from a political point of view. “As I see things, no interpretation of the Constitution prohibits the completion by changing the political composition of the Government through a vote in Parliament. So, from my point of view, no interpretation of the Constitution compels Victor Ponta to resign. I stated, and stick to this opinion, that it would have been normal, democratic, legitimate for Victor Ponta to hand out his mandate and try forming a different cabinet, but this does not mean he is constrained by the Constitution,” Antonescu affirmed. The liberal leader however mentioned that the ruling programme should make the object of modifications in Parliament, because it is mentioned by the document that it is the programme of USL.
PP-DD proposes itself in the government, Ponta appreciates
The People’s Party announced that it wants to support the new government, without demanding positions in the Ponta 3 cabinet, as PP-DD sees itself as an alternative to the presence of UDMR in the government, in the end PP-DD president Simona Man announcing that the party will remain in opposition and will analyse whether to vote the government today in Parliament.
In retort, Victor Ponta said after meeting the parliamentarians of the Dan Diaconescu – People’s Party (PP-DD) that he had told them he is a man of his word and the fact that what had been agreed during the talks also happens will prove an advantage for them on the medium- and long-term.
