The Social Democratic Party’s (PSD) National Executive Committee (NatExCom) will convene on Monday, at 4 p.m., to decide the makeup of the new Government led by Premier-designate Viorica Dancila. Parliament will convene in an extraordinary sitting on January 29, for the confirmation of the new Government and of the governance programme.
According to the statements made so far by PSD leaders, the Dancila Government will have the same structure as the previous Tudose Government, namely: Premier, 3 Deputy Premiers – one without portfolio, and 26 ministerial portfolios, two of the ministers being ministers-delegate. Overall, just like the previous Government, the new Government will have 28 members.
The backers of ex-Premier Mihai Tudose – Marcel Ciolacu (Deputy Premier without portfolio), Felix Stroe (Transport Minister), Marius Nica (Minister-delegate for European Grants) – will not be members of the future Government.
Tudose and Ciolacu were accused by some Social Democrats of being the backers of the “deep state,” during the NatExCom meeting in which the withdrawal of political support for the former Government was decided. Marius Nica, Minister-delegate for European Grants, resigned last Friday, even though the Tudose Cabinet was considered outgoing as a result of the Premier’s resignation.
The Dancila Government will also have new members. Some sources are talking about Rovana Plumb’s return to the Government, to replace Ciolacu as Deputy Premier without portfolio. Thus, Rovana Plumb, Paul Stanescu (Development Ministry) and Gratiela Gavrilescu (Environment Ministry) would be the new Government’s three Deputy Premiers.
At the Education Ministry, Liviu Pop could be replaced by Ecaterina Andronescu. The latter withdrew her candidacy for the office of Premier during PSD’s NatExCom meeting. Ex-minister Razvan Cuc could return at the helm of the Transport Ministry, but the name of PSD House lawmaker Sorin Bota has also been rumoured for this portfolio.
Ionut Vulpescu, former Culture Minister in the Grindeanu Government, could also return to the Government, potentially set to replace Lucian Romascanu.
Current secretary of state Rodica Nassar is rumoured to replace Florian Bodog at the helm of the Health Ministry. Rodica Nassar was previously chairwoman of the Lower House’s Defence Committee.
Another return could be that of Eugen Teodorovici, former European Grants Minister and Finance Minister in the Ponta Government. Teodorovici was, in fact, proposed by PSD Tulcea for the office of Finance Minister or that of European Grants Minister.
Ioan Denes will be another new member of the Dancila Government, having been voted by PSD’s NatExCom as Doina Pana’s replacement at the helm of the Water Resources and Forestry Ministry even before Tudose resigned.
Olguta Vasilescu (Labour Ministry), Carmen Dan (Interior Ministry), Petre Daea (Agriculture Ministry), Mihai Fifor (Defence Ministry), Ionut Misa (Finance Ministry), Tudorel Toader (Justice Ministry), Gheorghe Simon (Economy Ministry), Ilan Laufer (Business Environment), Lucian Georgescu (Research Ministry), Lucian Sova (Communications Ministry) and Andreea Pastirnac (Romania Diaspora Ministry) will remain members of Government and will keep their portfolios.
On the other hand, ALDE will keep its four portfolios: Foreign Ministry, Environment Ministry, Energy Ministry, and Parliament Liaison Ministry. Likewise, the previous holders of these portfolios – Teodor Melescanu, Gratiela Gavrilescu, Toma Petcu and Viorel Ilie – will continue to hold them as members of the Dancila Government. Likewise, ALDE’s Deputy Premier Gavrilescu will hold the same office in the Dancila Government.
