Two new ministers

The new ministers of culture and foreign affairs, Csilla Hegedus and Bogdan Aurescu, on Monday were sworn in as part of a ceremony at the Cotroceni Presidential Palace.

Valentin Țigău, 25.11.2014, 16:46

The Romanian government has 2 new ministers as of Monday. Csilla Hegedus, 47, has been appointed Culture Minister, based on the position distribution algorithm agreed upon by the Social Democratic Party and the Democratic Union of Ethnic Hungarians in Romania, UDMR. The Culture Minister position had remained vacant after the resignation of Kelemen Hunor in July 2014.

The last important position held by Csilla Hegedus was that of State Secretary with the Culture Ministry. A relatively unknown person in the Romanian political landscape, Csilla Hegedus stood out as a member of the EU International Jury on Cultural Heritage and as vice-president of the UDMR women’s organization represented in Romania’s Parliament. In the government dominated by the Social Democrats Csilla Hegedus will also hold the deputy prime minister office.

Bogdan Aurescu, 41, a career diplomat, has been appointed at the helm of the Romanian Foreign Ministry; he was previously State Secretary with the Romanian Foreign Ministry. Bogdan Aurescu was actively involved in the case regarding the allotment of 9,700 square kilometers of the Black Sea continental shelf to Romania after a trial against Ukraine in the Hague won by Romania, and also in the signing of the basic bilateral political treaty with the Russian Federation and the deployment of the American anti-missile defense shield on Romanian territory.

Last week, Bogdan Aurescu pointed out in a meeting that the anti-missile defense shield was a highly important strategic issue and that the Romanian-American Accord concluded in September 2011 was the materialization of the Strategic Partnership between the two countries. Bogdan Aurescu has been appointed Foreign Minister after the resignation of the two previous ministers, Titus Corlatean and Teodor Melescanu, in the month of November, against the backdrop of flaws reported in the voting process in the Diaspora at the presidential election.

Tens of thousands of Romanians had to stand in line for hours to cast their ballot because the Foreign Ministry did not want to set up further polling stations in other cities inhabited by numerous Romanian communities abroad, invoking the rigid legislation in the field. At the swearing-in ceremony, Romanian president, Traian Basescu congratulated the 2 newly appointed ministers and wished them good luck. The president also underlined that Romania was at a moment when people needed stability and seriousness, given that the country also had a new president elect.