A new prime minister designate
In Romania, the current interim prime minister attempts to form a new government.
Eugen Coroianu, 22.10.2021, 14:00
The President of Romania, Klaus Iohannis, on Thursday designated the current interim defense minister, Nicolae Ciucă, for the position of Prime Minister, after a new round of consultations with the parliamentary parties. This was the proposal of the National Liberal Party — PNL that, at the last moment, gave up nominating its leader Florin Cîțu, the prime minister dismissed by Parliament through a no confidence motion. Romania entered a governmental crisis after Save Romania Union – USR left the center-right coalition formed after the elections together with the National Liberal Party and the Democratic Union of Ethnic Hungarians in Romania – UDMR, accusing insurmountable disagreements with the prime minister Cîțu.
The motion was initiated by the opposition Social Democratic Party – PSD and was supported by the ultranationalist Alliance for the Union of Romanians – AUR and USR. President Iohannis underlined, on Thursday, that the country needs a government with full powers to solve the problems that concern the Romanian people: the pandemic crisis, the dramatic situation in hospitals and the coming winter which will bring rising energy prices. He said he was very pleased and happy that the National Liberal Party came up with a new approach.
Romania is going through one of the most difficult periods in its recent history – Nicolae Ciucă also underlined — calling on the political class to be responsible. He added that being entrusted with the mandate of prime minister is a gesture of responsibility and that Romania needs to overcome the current crisis. ‘We will negotiate with all the responsible forces, to be able, in a short period of time, to form a government that will be approved by Parliament’ Nicolae Ciucă said. He is the second prime minister proposal made by the head of state, after Dacian Cioloș, the USR leader, whose attempt to coagulate a parliamentary majority failed, not being supported by any other political party.
Nicolae Ciucă is a reserve general, a Liberal senator who also held the post of defense minister last year in the Liberal Government led by Ludovic Orban. He was also interim prime minister in December 2020, following the resignation of the then PM. Ciuca was chief of staff, holding the highest command rank in the army. He is a career military and has stood out through his participation in numerous missions abroad, in such countries as Iraq, Afghanistan and Bosnia. The prime minister designate has ten days to form a government and draft a governing program which he will submit to Parliament for a vote of confidence. (LS)
