Romania’s PM names former intelligence service director for foreign minister

Romania’s Prime Minister and presidential candidate Victor Ponta named Teodor Melescanu to take over as foreign affairs minister, after former minister Titus Corlatean resigned, on Monday, November 10. Melescanu, 73, was director of Romania’s Foreign Intelligence Service – SIE, from February 2012 until September 2013. He run in the presidential elections and got 1.09% of the votes in the first round. He announced he will support Victor Ponta for the second round, on November 16. Teodor Melescanu served as foreign affairs minister in the Nicolae Vacaroiu cabinet, between 1992 and 1996. He was also defense minister from April 2007 until December 2008, in Calin Popescu-Tariceanu’s cabinet. PM Victor Ponta has sent his nomination to President Traian Basescu and awaits for the president’s confirmation. Melescanu will have to take over the difficult task of organizing the voting abroad, where there have been problems in the first round of the elections. Romanians abroad protested in the last week against the Government for the poor organization of the voting process in the first round of the presidential elections. They asked the Romanian authorities to increase the number of voting wards abroad. Former foreign minister Titus Corlatean said that he can’t legally do this and announced his resignation. editor@romania-insider.com