RRI Live!

Listen to Radio Romania International Live

Minister resigns over corruption allegations

The target of a criminal investigation, Romanias finance minister Darius Valcov resigned on Sunday.

Minister resigns over corruption allegations
Minister resigns over corruption allegations

, 16.03.2015, 12:48

The cabinet led by Victor Ponta, politically fragile after the latter lost the presidential race in November, has received a new painful blow. Its finance minister, Darius Valcov, resigned on Sunday, after the National Anticorruption Directorate started an investigation into alleged acts of corruption committed by Valcov in 2009, while he was a mayor of the small southern town of Slatina. Valcov is suspected of receiving considerable bribe from a businessman in exchange for facilitating the awarding of certain contracts. Prime minister Victor Ponta says Valcov resigned before president Klaus Iohannis publicly asked him to step down so as not to affect the credibility of the cabinet. Prime minister Victor Ponta:



“Mr Valcov resigned on Sunday at noon. He came to my office and tendered his resignation. I told him I would accept it after he finished the text of the Fiscal Code and the Fiscal Procedure Code, when I would appoint someone to replace him as finance minister. I can’t say I have the name of his replacement yet, because it is a much too important position to find someone right away, but I will make a decision within the next few days. I have also informed president Iohannis of my intention.”



Whether Darius Valcov resigned before or after the president’s public intervention, his resignation will take effect in a few days’ time, once the Fiscal Code bill is ready. The bill has, in fact, been well received by the business community and was meant to score good points for the prime minister in his competition with the Liberals in opposition. The latter are trying to shake the parliamentary majority formed around the Social Democratic Party, so they stand to gain from this latest development.



The daily Adevarul notes that no less than 13 ministers from different governments led by Victor Ponta in the last three years have had problems with the law. One example is the Social Democrat senator Dan Sova, a former cabinet member responsible for large-scale infrastructure projects, who is accused of complicity in abuse of power.



Victor Ponta did, however, receive one good piece of news: the arrest and prosecution of Marian Vanghelie, one of his most vocal critics inside the party. Vanghelie is being investigated for awarding preferential contracts as mayor of Bucharest’s Sector 5 and pocketing 20% of their value. Before he became the target of criminal inquiries, he was planning to create a new left-wing party.

Schegen-EU flag Credit: pixabay
Today in the News Friday, 13 December 2024

Full Schengen membership for Romania

  After years of waiting, Romania and Bulgaria are becoming full members of the Schengen area. On Thursday, the Justice and Home Affairs Council...

Full Schengen membership for Romania
Photo: Septimiu-pixabay.com
Today in the News Friday, 13 December 2024

Money for local investments

In the last days of their mandate, at least theoretically, the PSD-PNL Government in Bucharest decided, in Thursday’s meeting, to allocate...

Money for local investments
Photo: kschneider2991 / pixabay.com
Today in the News Thursday, 12 December 2024

Inflation on the rise again

Postal services, fresh fruit or margarine were among the most expensive items in Romania in November this year, show data published by the National...

Inflation on the rise again
Maia Sandu and Mark Rutte / Photo presedinte.md
Today in the News Thursday, 12 December 2024

The Republic of Moldova’s Euro-Atlantic Option

The relations between NATO and the Republic of Moldova, an ex-Soviet, Romanian-speaking country, have along the years known several development...

The Republic of Moldova’s Euro-Atlantic Option
Today in the News Wednesday, 11 December 2024

Steps towards a majority government and parliament

The pro-Europeans in the future Parliament have agreed to form a parliamentary majority and the government.   On December 4, the PSD, PNL, USR,...

Steps towards a majority government and parliament
Today in the News Wednesday, 11 December 2024

Statements about Romania’s belonging in NATO and the UE

At the question ‘in what country they would want to work or study for a longer period of time’, 42% of the respondents to an opinion poll made by...

Statements about Romania’s belonging in NATO and the UE
Today in the News Tuesday, 10 December 2024

Austria no longer opposes Romania’s Schengen accession

The Austrian Interior Minister, Gerhard Karner, has announced his country no longer opposes Romania and Bulgaria’s accession to Schengen with their...

Austria no longer opposes Romania’s Schengen accession
Today in the News Tuesday, 10 December 2024

Budget deficit like in pandemic times

  Romania’s budget deficit in the first 11 months of this year reached 7.11% of its Gross Domestic Product (GDP), over EUR 25 bln,...

Budget deficit like in pandemic times

Partners

Muzeul Național al Țăranului Român Muzeul Național al Țăranului Român
Liga Studentilor Romani din Strainatate - LSRS Liga Studentilor Romani din Strainatate - LSRS
Modernism | The Leading Romanian Art Magazine Online Modernism | The Leading Romanian Art Magazine Online
Institului European din România Institului European din România
Institutul Francez din România – Bucureşti Institutul Francez din România – Bucureşti
Muzeul Național de Artă al României Muzeul Național de Artă al României
Le petit Journal Le petit Journal
Radio Prague International Radio Prague International
Muzeul Național de Istorie a României Muzeul Național de Istorie a României
ARCUB ARCUB
Radio Canada International Radio Canada International
Muzeul Național al Satului „Dimitrie Gusti” Muzeul Național al Satului „Dimitrie Gusti”
SWI swissinfo.ch SWI swissinfo.ch
UBB Radio ONLINE UBB Radio ONLINE
Strona główna - English Section - polskieradio.pl Strona główna - English Section - polskieradio.pl
creart - Centrul de Creație Artă și Tradiție al Municipiului Bucuresti creart - Centrul de Creație Artă și Tradiție al Municipiului Bucuresti
italradio italradio
Institutul Confucius Institutul Confucius
BUCPRESS - știri din Cernăuți BUCPRESS - știri din Cernăuți

Affiliates

Euranet Plus Euranet Plus
AIB | the trade association for international broadcasters AIB | the trade association for international broadcasters
Digital Radio Mondiale Digital Radio Mondiale
News and current affairs from Germany and around the world News and current affairs from Germany and around the world
Comunità radiotelevisiva italofona Comunità radiotelevisiva italofona

Providers

RADIOCOM RADIOCOM
Zeno Media - The Everything Audio Company Zeno Media - The Everything Audio Company