Nicolae Ciuca has been nominated on Monday by President Klaus Iohannis as candidate for the position of prime minister.
The head of state said that this proposal came from the National Liberal Party (PNL), the Social Democratic Party (PSD) and the Hungarian Democratic Union of Romania (UDMR) and from the parliamentary group of national minorities.
“The consultation session that I convened with the parliamentary parties has ended. I found that a solid majority was formed in the Romanian Parliament, a majority that includes the PNL, PSD, UDMR and the minority group. The representatives of this majority wanted to come together to the consultations, I have accepted this and in this format we had a discussion that I consider very good. This majority proposed to me a name of prime minister, a proposal that I accepted. I consequently nominate Mr. Nicolae Ciuca, here present, to form a government team and to appear before the Romanian Parliament for the vote of confidence,” declared President Klaus Iohannis, at the Cotroceni Palace.
He wished Nicolae Ciuca, present at the Cotroceni Palace, much success.
On Monday, the head of state had consultations with the representatives of PNL, PSD, UDMR and of the national minorities, and then with those of AUR (Alliance for the Union of Romanians), in order to nominate the candidate for the position of prime minister. USR did not participate in the consultations at Cotroceni Palace.
According to the Constitution, the candidate for the position of Prime Minister will request, within 10 days from the nomination, Parliament’s vote of confidence on the program and of the entire Government list. The governing program and the list of the Government are to be debated by the Chamber of Deputies and the Senate, in a joint session. Parliament gives its nod of approval to the Government by the majority of deputies and senators’ vote.
The leaders of PNL, PSD and UDMR announced that Romania will have a Government by Thursday.
Nicolae Ciuca was also nominated as a candidate for prime minister on October 21. However, he submitted his resignation after the PNL-UDMR minority government failed to gather a majority in Parliament to vote for him.
Ciuca: Romanian citizens expect stability and solutions, we hope to get down to work as of Thursday
The Prime Minister-designate, Nicolae Ciuca, stated, on Monday, at the Cotroceni Presidential Palace, that Romanians expect from the new government “stability and solutions” to resolve the effects produced by the pandemic and the energy crisis and expressed hope that the new team at the Victoria Governmental palace can “get down to work” starting Thursday.
“In the past day we worked together with the other parties to be able to aggregate a governing programme and a solid coalition in the Romanian Parliament, so that we can accomplish a government to ensure the stability of the country. Practically, Romanian citizens expect from us stability and solutions in order to be able to resolve the effects produced by the COVID-19 pandemic, the energy crisis and also to have a governmental programme able to enforce the necessary decisions for the implementation of the PNRR [National Recovery and Resilience PLan],” said Ciuca, after being designated by President Klaus Iohannis to form the new government.
He added that it is for the first time when the governing programme mentions “a substantial percentage for investments” and includes social measures.
“We are hoping to be able to get down to work, as of Thursday, at the level of the government team,” said Ciuca, according to Agerpres.
PSD’s spokesman: Our party will have 9 ministries in the new Executive and the position of Secretary General of the Government
The National Political Council of the Social Democratic Party (PSD) has voted for the National Liberal Party (PNL) being first to hold office under a rotating premiership agreement between PSD, PNL and the Hungarian Democratic Union of Romania (UDMR), PSD spokesman Radu Oprea announced on Monday.
Oprea also announced that the Social Democrats will have 9 ministries in the new Executive and the position of Secretary General of the Government, in rank of minister.
“The proposed structure for the new Government was voted,” Oprea told the press at the PSD headquarters after this party’s National Political Council meeting.
The Social Democrats have the following ministries:
The Ministry of Finance
The Ministry of National Defence
The Ministry of Economy
The Ministry of Transport and Infrastructure
The Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development
The Ministry of Health
The Ministry of Labour and Social Protection
The Ministry of Culture
The Ministry of Youth and Family
PSD will also have another position of minister, respectively the Secretary General of the Government, Oprea specified.
The PSD spokesperson mentioned that UDMR keeps, in the new structure, the three ministries it held, namely:
The Ministry of Development, Public Works and Administration;
The Ministry of Environment, Waters and Forests;
The Ministry of Sports.
Oprea added that PNL will have:
The Ministry of Justice;
The Ministry of Interior;
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs;
The Ministry of European Investments and Projects;
The Ministry of Energy;
The Ministry of Education;
The Ministry of Research, Innovation and Digitization;
The Ministry for Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises and Tourism;
“In order for this social package, which is very important for PSD, to have guarantees that it can be implemented, we made sure that we also have the necessary tools, and I am talking about the Ministry of Labour, the Ministry of Health, the Ministry of Public Finance,” Radu Oprea added.
AUR: Pseudo-consultations have taken place at the Cotroceni Palace
The co-chairman of AUR (Alliance for the Union of Romanians) George Simion said on Monday that at Cotroceni Palace there were “pseudo-consultations” and sent the head of state, through a councilor, the list for suspending him from his position in order to sign it.
“Today, at Cotroceni, there were some pseudo-consultations. President Iohannis did not speak more than three words, unfortunately, neither during the time of his two terms did he utter more than three words. We brought him a document and we are making an appeal. If Klaus Iohannis will not sign the document, I hope that the Romanian people from all around will sign it. I brought Mister Klaus Iohannis the paper with signatures, we entered his data and address, one of the six houses and the personal details, all that is missing is his signature. I handed the document to a councilor because these consultations at Cotroceni were just for show. (…) I hope he will come to his senses and Klaus Werner Iohannis will sign, with his residence at Balea Street nr. 29, on the dismissal forms of Klaus Iohannis,” Simion declared during a press conference held at the Parliament Palace.
He said that AUR went on Monday to Cotroceni because he respects the Constitution and the presidential institution and he is not taking into account the “ephemeral” occupant of the position of head of state.
“I went there without the illusion that we could influence in any way the anti-politics essence which president Klaus Iohannis is exercising, but using the opportunity to send two powerful messages, (…) which reflect the concern of the Romanian people and especially the feud that was installed in the Romanian people, with his contribution, who, through the nature of his position, should be a mediator. I told him that the Romanian society is divided today on the vaccination certificates topic, that this document that violates fundamental rights (…) cannot be established by the political class without consulting with the Romanian people. (…) The president said that the referendum would be advisory and that politicians are not obligated to take it into account and ‘period’,” the AUR leader added.
USR didn’t participate in the Cotroceni consultations
On Monday morning, the Save Romania Union (USR) chair Dacian Ciolos informed that this party’s National Bureau has decided that the party’s representatives should not participate in the consultations that are to be held at the Cotroceni Palace convened by President Klaus Iohannis.
While taking to the press at the Palace of Parliament, Ciolos reproached Iohannis for “abandoning” his role as mediator and for positioning himself “as the very godfather of this monstrous coalition.”
“USR cannot guarantee the establishment of a new FSN [former political party called National Salvation Front – editor’s note],” the USR leader added.
Compiled from Agerpres
Photo: www.presidency.ro
