Romania yet to swear in new Government, as country's president says new governing program needed, opposition submits Constitutional Court appeal

The new structure of the Romanian Government passed the vote in the Parliament on Tuesday, March 4, but the new ministers are yet to be sworn in. The country's president Traian Basescu is contesting the legitimacy of the Government and of the governing program. Basescu argues that there is a new governing program, and that the new Government should also submit this program to a Parliament vote. He refers to the recent entrance of the Democratic Alliance of Hungarians in Romania (UDMR) into the political mix which backs the Government, and says this represents a change to the governing program, which should then be altered to reflect the new political realities in the cabinet. Once the new program receives the greenlight from the Parliament, Basescu said he was ready to sign off on the new ministers, and have them sworn in. Negotiations are still ongoing between the country's Prime Minister Victor Ponta and the president Basescu, after a failed round of talks on Wednesday, March 5. The two are due to meet again to find a solution on Thursday. Meanwhile, the Popular Movement Party PMP and the Democratic Liberal Party PDL, both part of the opposition in Romania, have appealed the Parliament decision which green lighted the new Government at the Constitutional Court. The opposition argues that citizens voted a the Social Liberal Union to create the country's Government, and that the new Government is now backed by UDMR and by the National Union for Romania's Progress UNPR. The situation emerged after the liberals withdrew from the USL and from the Government, leaving the social democrats to re-create the cabinet, and in need of more political support, which it got from UDMR and UNPR. More about the new structure of the Government, here. editor@romania-insider.com