Romanian Prime Minister names new interim ministers

After ministers from the National Liberal Party submitted their resignations from the Government, Romanian Prime Minister Victor Ponta nominated new interim ministers. According to a press release posted on the Government’s website, on Wednesday morning (February 26) Ponta submitted to President Traian Basescu the resignations of the ministers Eugen Nicolaescu (Minister of Health), Mariana Campeanu (Minister of Labour), Ramona Manescu (Minister of Transport), Gigel Stirbu (Minister of Culure), Lucia Varga (Minister of Water, Forests and Fishery), Mihai Voicu (Minister for Relations with Parliament), Cristian David (Minister for Diaspora), for Basescu to issue presidential decrees through which he notes that the seats are vacant. The statement shows that under these conditions and applying the legislation, the Prime Minister asked the President to issue presidential decrees for appointing the following interim ministers:

• Nicolae Banicioiu, Minister of Youth and Sports, to be appointed interim Minister of Health
• Adriana Doina Pană, Minister for Social Dialogue, to nominated interim Minister of Labour
• Dan Sova, Minister for Infrastructure Projects and Foreign Investments, to be interim Minister of Transports
• Mihnea Cosmin Costoiu, Minister for Higher Education, to be appointed interim Minister of Culture
• Rovana Plumb, Environment Minister, to be named interim Minister of Water, Forests and Fishery
• Robert Marius Cazanciuc, Minister of Justice, to be appointed interim Minister for Relations with the Parliament
• Titus Corlatean, Minister of Foreign Affairs, to be interim Minister for Diaspora

The list was established by Prime Minister Victor Ponta and agreed by President Traian Basescu, sources told local news agency Mediafax. These changes came after PSD and PNL parted ways and the former union the Social Liberal Union collapsed. More about the recent break in the USL here. Irina Popescu, irina.popescu@romania-insider.com (photo source: gov.ro)