Coalition parties announce list of ministers in Govt. led by RO PM-designate Nicolae Ciucă

The list of ministers and the governing program of the coalition made up of the Liberal Party (PNL), Social Democrat Party (PSD), and the Hungarians’ Union (UDMR) is to be filed with the Parliament today, November 23. A schedule of hearings will be established, and the Government led by PM-designate Nicolae Ciucă is expected to stand the Parliament’s vote on Thursday, News.ro reported.

PSD will hold nine ministries and the Government’s chancellery, PNL will hold eight ministries and the PM, and UDMR three ministries. The coalition parties agreed the PM job would go to a PSD nominee starting with the summer of 2023, when PNL would take over the ministries of Finance and Transport, and PSD the Justice ministry.

PSD nominated economist Adrian Câciu to lead the Finance Ministry, and Vasile Dîncu the Defense Ministry. Dîncu, currently the president of PSD’s National Council, has a degree in philosophy and a PhD in sociology from the Babeș Bolyai University in Cluj. He was a deputy PM and minister of Regional Development and Public Administration in the cabinet of Dacian Cioloș.

Update: PSD decided nominate another candidate for the Economy ministry instead of Marius Humelnicu.

Marius Humelnicu was nominated to lead the Economy Ministry, while former Bucharest mayor Gabriela Firea was nominated for the newly-established Family Ministry. Former PM Sorin Grindeanu was nominated for the Transport Ministry. He led the Government that passed Ordinance 13, resulting in massive street protests across the country in 2017. Adrian Chesnoiu was nominated for the Agriculture Ministry, and Alexandru Rafila for the Health Ministry.

Marius Budăi is expected to take over as Labor minister, and Lucian Romaşcanu as Culture minister, a post he previously held in the cabinet of Mihai Tudose.

The Liberals proposed Cătălin Predoiu as Justice minister, a job he also held in the cabinet of Ludovic Orban and in the governments led by Călin Popescu-Tăriceanu, Emil Boc, and Mihai-Răzvan Ungureanu.

Current Finance minister Dan Vîlceanu was proposed to lead the European Funds Ministry, while Virgil Popescu would carry on at the Energy Ministry.

Several others are nominated to keep their current portfolios: Lucian Bode as Interior Affairs minister, Bogdan Aurescu as Foreign Affairs minister, and Sorin Cîmpeanu as Education minister. Florin Roman, a former interim president of the Chamber of Deputies after the resignation of Ludovic Orban, was proposed for the Digitalization Ministry, and Constantin Cadariu for the SMEs and Tourism Ministry.