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New Cabinet to have three deputy prime ministers
Social Democratic Party (PSD) Chairman Liviu Dragnea presented the valid list of the new government on Wednesday, at the end of the meeting of the National Executive Committee.
Tudose's government will have three deputy prime ministers — Sevil Shhaideh (PSD), Gratiela Gavrilescu (the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats — ALDE) also proposed for Minister of Environment, and Marcel Ciolacu (PSD) — without a portfolio.
Sevil Shaideh remains Minister for Regional Development, Florian Bodog — Minister of Health, Tudorel Toader — Minister of Justice. Adrian Tutuianu was proposed to take over the Defence portfolio.
The new cabinet includes: Lucian Romascanu — proposed Minister of Culture and National Identity, Liviu Pop — proposed Minister of National Education, Ionut Misa — proposed Finance Minister, Carmen Dan — proposed Minister for Internal Affairs, Teodor Melescanu — proposed Minister for Foreign Affairs, Lia-Olguta Vasilescu — proposed Minister of Labour and Social Justice, Rovana Plumb — proposed Deputy Minister for European Funds, Petre Daea — proposed Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Mihai Fifor — proposed Minister of Economy.
Toma Petcu was proposed Minister for Energy, Razvan Cuc — Minister of Transport, Doina Pana — Minister of Waters and Forests, Lucian Sova — Minister of Communications, Gabriel Petrea — Minister of Public Consultation and Social Dialogue.
Marius Alexandru Dunca was proposed Minister of Youth and Sports, Mircea Titus Dobre — Minister of Tourism, Andreea Pastarnac — Minister for Romanians Abroad, Ilan Laufer — Minister for Business Milieu, Commerce and Entrepreneurship, Viorel Ilie — Minister for the Relation with Parliament, Victor Negrescu — Deputy Minister for European Affairs, Lucian Georgescu — Minister of Research and Innovation.
According to Reuters correspondent, most outgoing ministers featured again in the line-up Tudose and Social Democrat leader Liviu Dragnea presented on Wednesday.
Tudose is a close ally of Dragnea, who keeps a tight rein on the party and is himself currently on trial in an abuse of office case.
Tudorel Toader, who retained his portfolio as Justice Minister, has said he would seek a wide debate this time before, in line with a constitutional court ruling, setting a financial gain exemption cap.
In theory, the higher the cap, the greater an offending politician's chances of being shielded from prosecution.
In the most high-profile cabinet change, Ionut Misa replaced Viorel Stefan as finance minister.
Both the finance and justice posts will play a key role as the Social Democrat-led government also seeks to answer critics over the state of the economy.
Its program envisions hefty public sector wage and pension hikes, as well as a fiscal overhaul that includes income tax cuts and shifts the burden of social security contributions solely onto workers, not employers.
Those plans have raised concerns among analysts, the European Commission and the IMF, that Romania will overshoot the EU's deficit ceiling of 3 percent of gross domestic product.
Another priority is setting up a sovereign wealth fund worth billions of euros and incorporating state-owned companies. Fund managers and brokers have said if done well, the fund would boost the performance of these companies.
However, it raises concerns over transparency, they added.
"The chances for the stability of this government are evenly split," said Sergiu Miscoiu, political science professor at Babes-Bolyai University.
"One the one hand, we have a prime minister who is more loyal to the party leader. But within the government itself there are potentially clashing personalities."
New Defense Minister Adrian Tutuianu will oversee an ongoing military acquisitions program as Romania, on NATO's European easternmost flank, boosts its military spending.
Some of the newcomers:
Prime Minister -designate, Mihai Tudose was born on March 6, 1967, in Braila. He graduated the Faculty of Legal and Administrative Sciences of Dimitrie Cantemir Christian University in Bucharest (1995) and the postgraduate course "Management and Business Management" (2001) at the Faculty of Economic Studies, Dunarea de Jos University in Galati. He also completed a postgraduate course in the field of national security (2006) at the Romanian National Security Superior College, the Romanian Intelligence Service (SRI), according to his CV published on the website of the Chamber of Deputies, www.cdep.ro.
He underwent a specialization course for leading staff (SES), at the European Marshall Center for National Security Studies - Garmisch in Germany (2006) and a postgraduate specialization course at the National Defence College - Bucharest (2006).
He got a Master's Degree in European Economic Policies at the National School of Political and Administrative Studies in Bucharest (2006-2007) and attended a postgraduate course at Dunarea de Jos University in Galati, the Faculty of Economic Studies, the specialty "Communication Management and Public Relations "(2006-2007); he completed a specialist course in "Armed Conflict Analysis and Resolution" at Georgetown University, USA in collaboration with the National Defence College (2007) and attended postgraduate courses in 'International Relations and European Integration' at the Romanian Diplomatic Institute, under the aegis of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (2007).
In 2008 he graduated the Master's programme "Tourism in the context of sustainable regional development" at the Faculty of Management, Economic Engineering in Agriculture and Rural Development - University of Agronomic Sciences and Veterinary Medicine Bucharest, the long-distance education Department.
In 2010, the Prime-Minister-designate obtained his Ph.D. in Military Sciences and Information, on "Critical Infrastructure Protection", at "Mihai Viteazul" National Academy of Information, the Romanian Intelligence Services.
He has pursued a university career, being a lecturer at "Mihai Viteazul" National Academy of Information, the Romanian Intelligence Service, specializing in "Critical Infrastructure Protection" and "Strategies for Security and Defence", then associate professor (2013) at the same institution, with the specializations "Critical Infrastructure Protection" and "National and Euro-Atlantic Security". In 2013, he was granted a certification diploma for the teaching profession - single specialization, from the "Carol I" National Defence University - the Department of Military Management and Training of Teaching Staff.
He began his political career in 1992, being a member of the Democratic National Salvation Front (FDSN - political party after the Romanian Revolution - ed. n.) (1992), then organizing secretary (1992-1996). He was vice-chairman of the Youth Organisation of the Romanian Social Democratic Party (PDSR) (OT) (1997-2002) and chairman of the Youth Organization PDSR Braila (1997-2002). He was a member of the PSD National Council (since 1994) and the chairman of the PSD organization Braila Municipality (2004-2008). First he was deputy chairman of PSD Braila County Organization (1996-2014), then chairman of the PSD Braila County Organization (2014-2015). From 2015, he has been the deputy chairman of the PSD.
He was the head of the senatorial office (1992-1999) and Braila County Councilor (1999-2000), while at the same time he held the position of legal/marketing adviser at SC Farex SA Braila (1999-2000).
He joined the Romanian Parliament in 2000, after winning his first deputy mandate. In the same year, he was a member of the Romanian Parliament Delegation to the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe, as an alternate member (2000-2007), member (2007-2014), Rapporteur on the Ratification of the European Social Security Code (2002) and in 2003, by contributing to the OECD Report and the World Economy. The mandates of 2004-2008 followed, when he ran on the lists of the PSD + PUR National Union, 2008-2012, on the lists of the Social Democratic Party + Conservative Party, and 2012-2016, from the Social Democratic Party. Following the parliamentary elections of 11 December 2016, Mihai Tudose obtained a new mandate of deputy in the constituency no. 9 Braila, running on the Social Democratic Party lists. He was validated in his position on December 21, 2016.
He was a member of the Committee for Economic Policy, Reform and Privatization of the Chamber of Deputies (2000-2004), then Chairman of this Committee (2004-2014 and December 2015). In the current legislature, he was also chairman of the Committee for Economic Policy, Reform and Privatization (December 2016 - February 2017).
He was Minister of Economy, Commerce and Tourism. (December 17, 2014 - November 17, 2015).
On February 22, 2017, Mihai Tudose was validated in the PSD National Executive Committee for the position of Minister of Economy, replacing Alexandru Petrescu. He took the oath of office as Minister of Economy on February 23, 2017. On June 14, 2017, he resigned from office, along with the majority of Grindeanu's Cabinet members. On June 21, 2017, the Grindeanu's Government was discharged from office by a censure motion.
President Klaus Iohannis signed on June 27, 2017, the decree on the nomination of Mihai Tudose as candidate for prime minister.
State Secretary Ionut Misa, appointed Finance Minister, was general director within the National Agency of Fiscal Administration (ANAF). Misa made the news in October 2016 when he announced that around EUR 1 billion were brought outside of Romania by companies in the past five years.
“Only within five companies in the oil sector, retail, tobacco and commerce there were made RON 87 million adjustments. Only five companies, imagine what that means at a national level. The general direction of the big contributors today has 1,500 companies in its portfolio. The amounts are big, very big. A study we made at beginning 2015 on a portfolio of 2,500 companies had brought us to the conclusion that almost EUR 1 billion was taken out of the country in the past five years,” Misa said in October.
Nominated for Miniser of na?ional Education, Liviu-Marian Pop was born on May 10, 1974 in Viseu de Sus, Maramures County. He graduated in 1996 from the Faculty of Mathematics and Computer Science of the "Babes Bolyai" University in Cluj-Napoca, informs the senat.ro site. Between 2005 and 2006, he attended master's postgraduate studies at the "Vasile Goldis" University of Arad - Faculty of Economic Sciences, and between 2007 and 2009 he attended postgraduate courses at the 'North' University of Baia Mare.
He chaired the Maramures Free Trade Union of Education (January 2004 - May 2012); served as Secretary general of the Education Free Trade Unions' Federation (December 2007 - May 2012); a member of the Social Dialogue Committee at the Ministry of Education (2008 - May 2012) and vice-chair of the Central Discipline College of the Ministry of Education (2008 - May 2012).
On May 7, 2012, Pop was vested as Minister-delegate for Social Dialogue with the Ministry of Labor in the Ponta I Cabinet, a position he held until December 21, 2012. Beginning May 15, 2012 until July 2, 2012, he served as acting Minister of Education, Research, Youth and Sport.
He won a term as senator in the Uninominal Constituency No. 3 - Maramures on the USL lists in the December 9, 2012 election. On December 14, 2014 Premier Victor Ponta proposed Liviu-Marian Pop for Minister delegate for Social Dialogue. He took the oath of office on December 17, 2014. His term ended on November 17, 2015.
On February 20, 2017 Liviu-Marian Pop was confirmed as PSD senator in lieu of Sorina Pintea.
Nominated for Minister Delegate for European Affairs, Victor Negrescu was born on 17 August 1985, in Bucharest. He studied at the "Victor Duruy" High School in Paris (2001-2004). He graduated from the Faculty of Political Sciences with the University of Bucharest (2008). He has a Master's degree of International and European Studies from the Pierre Mendes University of France (2009-2010), Masters' degrees from the Academy of Economic Studies (ASE) of Bucharest and from the National Conservatory of Arts and Crafts of Paris (2010-2012). He is a Doctor in Political Sciences and European Affairs of the National School of Political and Administrative Studies (SNSPA, 2011). A communication and press liason counselor at the Chamber of Deputies with Romania Parliament (2007-2008), a job he has also performed at the European Parliament (2008-2009), a personal counselor within the Ministry of Economy, the Department for Energy (2013-2014), a communication officer at Webhelp Romania (2013-2014) according to http://www.europarl.europa.eu.
He is a university staff with the ''Dimitrie Cantemir'' Christian University (since 2009) and with the SNSPA (since 2012). Negrescu is coordinating the PES Activists Romania activity in his chairman capacity (since 2007).
He became a MEP from the PSD for the 2014-2019 legislature, following the 25 May election, after Ecaterina Andronescu (PSD) gave up her tenure in favour of political scientist Victor Negrescu.
Nominated for Minister of Defence, Adrian Tutuianu was born August 1, 1965 in Malu cu Flori - Dambovita County. Between 1979 - 1983 he attended the Chemistry Highschool No. 3 in Campulung Muscel, majoring in chemistry. He graduated from the Bucharest University's Faculty of Law - with a degree in Economic and Administrative Law (1988). In 1993 he earned a degree in law sciences. In 2004 he earned a Master's Degree in European Public Management at the National Institute of Administration. A Doctor of Commercial Law of the Faculty of Law, Bucharest University (2006). In 2010 he graduated from the National Defence College of the "Carol I" National Defence University.
A member of the Social Democratic Party (PSD) since 1998, executive chairman / deputy chairman / executive secretary of the Standing Bureau of the party's Dambovita County branch (1998 - 2012), member of the PSD National Council (2010 - 2012), PSD executive secretary on law issues 2010 - 2012), PSD Dambovita chairman (since 2012).
Between 2004 and 2008 he served as councilor at the Dambovita County Council and on November 30, 2008 he was elected PSD senator .Following the June 10, 2012 local elections Tutuianu was elected president of the Dambovita County Council on behalf of USL / PSD and served in this office until December 2016.
In the December 2016 parliamentary election Tutuianu obtained a seat as Dambovita senator and in the current legislature he acted as Secretary of the Senate Standing Bureau and chairman of the Houses' Joint Standing Committee for parliamentary oversight of the Romanian Intelligence Service's activity, informs the website www.cdep.ro.
Nominated for Minister of Economy, Mihai-Viorel Fifor was born on May 10, 1970.
In 1994 he obtained a degree in Philosophy at the Faculty of Letters and History from the University of Craiova. A year later, he obtained his Master's degree in "Romanian Literature", also at Craiova University. Since 2003, he is a Doctor in Social Anthropology, Craiova University. In 2007, he got a Master's degree in Public Management at the National School of Political and Administrative Studies, and in 2009 - "Internal Affairs Management" at the National College of Internal Affairs, the "Al. I. Cuza" Police Academy and "Security and good governance" at the National Defence College, according to the official website of the Chamber of Deputies.
He worked as: main scientist researcher at "C. S. Nicolaescu-Plopsor'' Institute for Studies in Social Studies and Humanities, the Romanian Academy (1994-2001); director of the County Center for Preservation and Promotion of Traditional Culture, Dolj (2001-2005); manager of the Oltenia Museum in Craiova (2005-2009); Secretary of State at the Ministry Internal Affairs (2009); manager at the Oltenia Museum in Craiova (2009-2012), Secretary of State at the Ministry of Internal Affairs (May-2012).
At the legislative elections of December 9, 2012, he was elected Senator of Dolj (on the Social Democratic Party -PSD lists), in No.2 Uninominal College in no. 17 Constituency.
At the parliamentary elections of December 11, 2016, he obtained a senator mandate in Arad, also on the PSD lists. PSD Senator Mihai Fifor is chairman of the joint parliamentary commissions investigating the organization of the 2009 elections and the presidential election since the commission was founded, on May 11, 2017.
Nominated for Communication Minister, Lucian Sova was born on 31 May 1960. He graduated from the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering with the Brasov University (1980-1985), Road Vehicles specialty, according to www.cdep.ro.
From 2005 to 2006, he studied at the National Institute for Administration in Bucharest, with a diploma of Public Administration manager; a Master's Degree in the Road Transports Quality Management at the University of Oradea (2006). In 2009, he followed a class of security and good governance at the Carol I National Defence University.
Within the Transports, Constructions and Tourism Ministry, he held several positions: Transport minister's personal adviser (January - May 2001); deputy general manager with the Road Authority of Romania (2001-2002); managing director of the Road Transports Department (2002-2005).
He joined politics in September 1999, with the Bacau city organisation. One month later, he became a member of the Permanent Bureau of the city organisation. He used to be a local councilor in Bacau from 2000 to 2002. Since 2010, he is a vice president of the Bacau County organisation.
In the 2012-2016 legislature, he was elected a Social Democratic Party (PSD), deputy of Bacau. He used to be a member of the Committee for Industries and Services and since 2014, a secretary with the Committee for Transports and Infrastructure. He was re-elected PSD deputy of Bacau in 2016. He is secretary of the Committee for Transports and Infrastructure.
Nominated for Minister for Business Milieu, Commerce and Entrepreneurship, Harry-Ilan Laufer began his career at CBRE real estate agency in 2002, where he is named Senior Broker, according to www.hlretailgroup.com. In 2004, he becomes Development Manager at Time-Out company, a Czech brand, where he develops a network of 15 stores across Romania.
In 2005, he signs with the NCH investment fund, accepting the position of Sales Manager for the Winmarkt Shopping Center chain, for which he sets up Ploiesti Grand Centre, a 40,000 sqm shopping center. At the beginning of 2007, he founds the Retail Group company, and in 2012 he is appointed Vice-president of Elita 5 Holding. He left the company which he founded in January 2017.
Since January 18, 2017, he has been Secretary of State at the Ministry for Business Milieu, Commerce and Entrepreneurship.