The Chamber of Deputies and the Senate gathered in joint sitting on Wednesday for the vote of investiture of the government proposed by Prime Minister-designate Dacian Ciolos.
Prime Minister-designate Dacian Ciolos presented the government programme and the government’s list.
The list of ministers and the government programme were submitted to Parliament on Monday.
The candidates proposed by prime minister-designate Dacian Ciolos are: Dan Barna – Minister of Foreign Affairs; Nicu Falcoi – Minister of National Defense; Alin Stoica – Minister of Internal Affairs; Stelian Ion – Minister of Justice; Dragos Pislaru – Minister of Finance; Catalin Drula – Minister of Transport and Infrastructure; Cristina Pruna – Minister of Energy; Claudiu Nasui – Minister of Economy, Entrepreneurship and Tourism; George Catean – Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development; Mihai Gotiu – Minister of Environment, Water and Forests; Cristian Ghinea – Minister of Investments and European Projects; Ioana Mihaila – Minister of Health; Ionut Mosteanu – Minister of Development, Public Works and Administration; Oana Toiu – Minister of Labour and Social Protection; Corina Atanasiu – Minister of Education; Monica Berescu – Minister of Research, Innovation and Digitization; Iulia Popovici – Minister of Culture; Tudor Pop – Minister of Youth and Sports.
On Tuesday, the ministers proposed in the Ciolos Cabinet were heard in the select committees of the Parliament, all, with the exception of the proposed Minister of Transport, Catalin Drula, receiving negative opinions. Drula received a favourable opinion due to procedural error, after the committees did not obtain the necessary votes for an unfavourable opinion.
The opinion of the committees when hearing the proposed ministers is advisory.
According to the Constitution and regulations, the Parliament trusts the Government with the vote of the majority of deputies and senators. The vote is secret, with balls. At least one half plus one of the members of the two Chambers of Parliament must be present.
To be sworn in, the Ciolos Cabinet needs the favourable vote of 234 MPs. The Save Romania Union (USR) which he is heading has 80 deputies and senators and no other parliamentary political party has announced that it supports the Cabinet proposed by Dacian Ciolos.
The National Liberal Party (PNL)’s president Florin Citu said that liberal MPs will participate in the meeting, but will not vote, noting that it is the responsibility of the prime minister designate to make a majority.
The Hungarian Democratic Union of Romania (UDMR) has made a decision similar to that of the liberals, meaning that the MPs of the UDMR will be present for the joint session to invest the Ciolos gov’t, but will not cast their vote, the leader of the UDMR’s Deputies Csoma Botond, said.
The Social Democratic Party (PSD) announced that the party will make a final decision on how the social-democratic MPs will behave in the vote in a meeting of the party leadership held one hour before the meeting of the reunited plenum, but the PSD leaders have stated, on several occasions, that they will not vote for a Government proposed by Dacian Ciolos.
The Alliance for the Union of Romanians (AUR) representatives also announced that they will not support a Government proposed by Dacian Ciolos.
The leader of the national minorities, others than the Hungarian one, Varujan Pambuccian, said in his turn that he would not support the idea of a minority government, noting that the group he leads will always have a balanced attitude.
Prime Minister-designate Dacian Ciolos on Tuesday appealed to lawmakers to go over political egos and vote in favour of the Cabinet he proposed, noting that it provides solutions.
In case of non-granting of the vote of confidence, the Parliament, under the signature of the presidents of the two Chambers, shall at first bring this situation to the knowledge of the President of Romania, in order for him to designate another candidate for the position of Prime Minister.
In case of adoption, the Parliament’s decision on the granting of the vote of confidence shall also be submitted to the President so that he proceed with the appointment of the Government.
PM-designate expressed his hope that MPs will have the wisdom to vote for the Cabinet that he proposed
Prime Minister-designate Dacian Ciolos expressed his hope, on Wednesday, that MPs will have the wisdom to vote for the Cabinet that he proposed, because it would be “an immediate solution” to exit the political crisis and to implement measures that would resolve the other crises Romania’s facing.
“We will go in front of Parliament to propose a team that can govern in a crisis situation, with a governing programme adapted to this situation, with solutions for the pandemic crisis, for the energy crisis and to launch the National Programme for Recovery and Resilience. Thus, USR [Save Romania Union] is assuming the political responsibility it was mandated with by citizens. We are going to the end, today we go in Parliament to present this team and to present the programme and I hope, once more, in the wisdom of MPs to vote for this government, because this would be an immediate solution to exit the political crisis and to start to put into practice measures to resolve the other crises we are facing. I hope, once more, that our messages convince MPs, because the solution is here, it mustn’t be looked for anymore, we don’t have time to lose and we know what we have to do,” said Dacian Ciolos before the Joint Chambers of Parliament sitting where he will request confidence in his proposed cabinet.
I’m asking you for a vote for a crisis government, to offer example of responsibility
Prime Minister-designate Dacian Ciolos on Wednesday asked lawmakers to vote for a crisis government, in order to provide together an example of responsibility for citizens, stressing that they both assume “their own fault of superficiality and indifference of the past”, and especially “what can be done from now on”.
“I am here, today, in front of you to ask you for a vote for a crisis government based on a mandate offered by the President of Romania. I come before you with the desire to try to offer together an example of responsibility to the citizens of this country and I want to emphasize the word ‘together’, because regardless of the outcome of the vote, regardless of the political struggle, the good or bad results we will share together with the citizens of Romania,” Dacian Ciolos said in the parliament’s plenary session, at the investiture of the government.
He emphasised that Romania is in a moment of ‘deep crisis that can no longer be denied or ignored’.
“For this reason, I would like to propose that this is not one of the political speeches that focuses on the opponent, in order to score some electoral points. I am not here to attack anyone, nor to make memorable speeches, through which to bring anathemas and look for culprits. I am here to assume my own fault of the superficiality and indifference of the past and especially to assume what can be done from now on. I am here to be at the disposal of the citizens of this country in a moment of crisis and this can only be achieved through you, because you represent the citizens of Romania,” the prime minister-designate told the MPs.
Ciolos requests political armistice: Vote this government to pull country from crisis
Prime Minister-designate Dacian Ciolos proposed, on Wednesday, in the plenum of the Parliament, a political armistice and urged MPs to vote for the government he proposes in order to pull the country from crisis.
“Romanian politics must overcome partisanship and toxic tribalism, so that we can take from each other valuable projects and ensure they can become reality. We are interested in pulling the cart from the mud, not watch it sink,” said Ciolos during the presentation of the governing programme and ministers’ list.
He said that a minority government is not an ideal solution, but the situation is exceptional.
“I would prefer to share between us victory in the vaccination campaign, to thank you publicly and recognize merits than to start to reap personal benefits by speculating a moment. We have 30 years in which we’ve experienced discord, envy and selfishness, it brought us nowhere, we wasted a lot of chances and ended up making healthcare a public dispute,” Ciolos added.
He emphasized that the Save Romania Union (USR), which he chairs, is winning nothing and proposed a political armistice.
“USR is winning nothing today, if you vote for this government to pass. We will be in the ungrateful position of finding rapid and risky solutions. But we will prove that the President of Romania, together with the Parliament and representatives of responsible political parties have found the power to give Romania a chance in this crisis. We are not coming out heroes or winners as there will be no others defeated but the citizens of Romania, who will wonder why they are guilty of living in a country always in crisis. I propose this political armistice, that we use to change the country for the better and to change ourselves,” said the Prime Minister-designate.
Ciolacu: PSD will vote against the Cabinet proposed by Dacian Ciolos
On Wednesday, in the joint plenary session of the Parliament, the Social Democratic Party (PSD) will vote against the government proposed by Dacian Ciolos, the leader of the social democrats, Marcel Ciolacu, announced.
“We had a meeting of the National Standing Bureau. We have made the decision unanimously: we will vote against the Ciolos government. The group leaders proposed to be a vote against, in plain sight,” the PSD president said at the Palace of Parliament.
PSD’s Ciolacu: I am appealing to party leaders to find a solution for pulling Romania out of crisis
The chairman of PSD (Social Democratic Party) Marcel Ciolacu made an appeal on Wednesday towards all parliamentary party leaders to immediately meet and find a solution for pulling Romania out of the crisis.
“It is clear that this Government cannot pass. Even mister Ciolos knows, everyone knows. It is a mockery for Romanians, we cannot accept a Minister of Health who partook in this health disaster. But we must put urgently something instead. That is why I am making an appeal to all the party leaders in this room: I am asking to meet immediately and to find a solution together for pulling Romania out of this crisis. No more politics! This cannot go on. We must do something else, politicians must take a step back and to bring specialists and health experts that can urgently come with a project through which we can reduce our death toll. We have very good doctors even here, in Parliament. The sinister show must stop. I am asking you, now, at the last minute to be men of state. I am asking you to be alongside the Romanians in this war against death. I am asking you not to remain a black and ugly stain on the history of this country,” Ciolacu said, in the reunited plenum of Parliament, during the session where the vote for the Ciolos Cabinet is being requested.
He added that while politicians have stood in Parliament to make more politics, “another few dozen Romanians lost their lives”.
UDMR’s Kelemen: We will not vote Ciolos Cabinet, coalition needs to be resuscitated
The chairman of the Hungarian Democratic Union of Romania (UDMR) Kelemen Hunor said on Wednesday that the members of Parliament should apologize to those that sent them to Parliament, highlighting that the problems Romania is facing should be debated and said that his formation will not vote the government team proposed by Dacian Ciolos.
“One year ago, during the electoral campaign, we did not promise never-ending conflicts, we did not promise instability, we did not promise uncertainty and social chaos. Our promises were stability, predictability, safety and giving hope back to every citizen for a better living. (…) For two months, the majority of the political class offers only scandal, circus, instability. (…) We see many arguments without any coherence and logic, devious attitude, hysteria and useless political ballet. Before anything else, we must apologize to the citizens that sent us to Parliament. I apologize, esteemed citizens, but certainly I cannot do this in the name of each member of Parliament. And still, I must say this to this microphone. (…) We should debate the problems that Romania is facing,” the UDMR leader declared in the reunited plenum of Parliament.
He told those from USR (Save Romania Union) that “they will fail this test” and as of tomorrow an effort needs to be made to revive the coalition.
AUR’s Simion: USR only speaks with PNL and UDMR; if you want, we will talk
Deputy George Simion, co-chairman of AUR (The Alliance for the Union of Romanians) declared on Wednesday that he will not speak during his party’s allocated time to to the swearing in of the Government proposed by Dacian Ciolos, because he noticed that USR (Save Romania Union) only speaks with PNL (National Liberal Party) and UDMR (Hungarian Democratic Union of Romania), “while PSD (Social Democratic Party) and AUR are outside the calculations”.
“USR, during talks, said that it will only speak with PNL and UDMR, PSD and AUR are outside the calculations. I can wait, we will wait, I am looking at my colleagues from USR PLUS
(Save Romania Union – Party of Liberty, Unity and Solidarity alliance), they also know that this Government will not pass. But still, if you want to talk, we will talk,” Simion said at the presentation of the government programme and the Cabinet list.
In context, the Senate chair, Anca Dragu, told the leader of AUR to talk, because there is an established order for this session.
Minorities’ Pambuccian: Group’s vote will be symbolic, another useless bullet in this crisis
The leader of the deputies representing national minorities, other than the Hungarian minority, Varujan Pambuccian, stated, on Wednesday, in the plenum of the Parliament, that Romania has never been in a more difficult situation and things cannot be resolved “by trying to force a government that has no support at this time,” adding that the vote of MPs in the minorities’ group will be symbolic.
“We are after six awful months of discussions around sterile subjects, (…) to not approach real problems. The real problems are little mentioned in all discussions that existed and they are related to the price of energy, they’re related to this tempest coming from Brussels with green energy, the green plan, all these green things that leads to the unbearable increase of prices, to the increase of prices for food (…), culminating with this medical calamity we are going through now. Never, but absolutely never in the past 30 years, has Romania been in a more difficult situation than the one we are in now. Never and absolutely never in the history of the past 30 years did the political crisis prolong and have the dramatic moments that we are in now,” said Pambuccian.
“Until now, our parliamentary group has voted for stability constantly. This time, after we had a group session on Monday, we noted that there are opinions in all directions and then we will have a free vote. There will be votes for – so everything we do now is only in the symbolic area, because we’re not discussing a situation that would lead realistically to the formation of a government and then our vote will be symbolic. Part of us will vote in favor of the Government, part of us won’t vote at all, exactly to express this discontent, that, I am convinced, is the discontent of the majority of citizens, that we are not reaching a stable situation that would allow the serious approach of this crisis,” Pambuccian also said.
Compiled from Agerpres
