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New ministers swear in at Cotroceni Presidential Palace
The new ministers of Education, Defence, Labor and Social Justice, Economy, Culture and National Identity, Communications and Information Society, as well as that of Youth and Sports have been sworn in, on Tuesday, at the Cotroceni Presidential Palace in front of President Klaus Iohannis.
The new ministers are Ecaterina Andronescu - Minister of Education, Gabriel Les - Minister of National Defence, Marius Budai - Minister of Labour and Social Justice, Niculae Badalau - Minister of Economy, Daniel Breaz - Minister of Culture and National Identity, Alexandru Petrescu - Minister of Communications and Information Society, Constantin-Bogdan Matei - Minister of Youth and Sports.
The ceremony at the Cotroceni Palace was also attended by Prime Minister Viorica Dancila and members of the cabinet - Viorel Stefan, Teodor Melescanu, Rovana Plumb, Natalia Intotero, Eugen Teodorovici, Stefan Oprea -, as well as presidential advisers Ion Oprisor and Cosmin Marinescu, and state adviser Ligia Deca.
The decree appointing the new ministers was published on Tuesday in the Official Journal. The decree however lacked the appointment of Ilan Laufer as Minister of Regional Development and Lia Olguta Vasilescu as Minister of Transport, the President refusing the proposals of the Prime Minister.
The decree on the appointment of new ministers was published on Tuesday in the Official Journal.
The new ministers are:
*Gabriel Les - Minister of National Defence
*Marius Budai - Minister of Labour and Social Justice
*Niculae Badalau - Minister of Economy
*Valer-Daniel Breaz - Minister of Culture and National Identity
*Alexandru Petrescu - Minister of Communications and Information Society
*Constantin-Bogdan Matei - Minister of Youth and Sports
The Official Journal also published the removal from office of the ministers who were reshuffled:
*Lia Olguta Vasilescu - former Minister of Labour
*Danut Andrusca - former Minister of Economy
*George Ivascu - former Minister of Culture and National Identity
*Petru Bogdan Cojocaru - former Minister of Communications and Information Society
*Ioana Brad - former Minister of Youth and Sports
President Klaus Iohannis also took note of the resignation of Mihai Fifor from the Ministry of Defence.
„I have received a proposal for government reshuffle, which is a weak solution. I think the right decision for Romania is the entire replacement of this government which has generated many problems. I agree a reshuffle is needed, but we must consider several things. First of all, we are ahead a challenge: the Presidency of the EU Council that Romania is to take over as of January 1,2019. It may be a success only if the ministries are doing their job.In brief, we need ministers who are performing very well. There is no much time left until Romania takes over the Presidency of EU Council. Visits have already started, we must act quickly. I issued the reshuffle decree, but I refuse two proposals for I consider them inappropriate,” Klaus Iohannis said in a press statement at Cotroceni Palace.
The head of the state did not sign for the appointment of Ilan Laufer to the Ministry of Regional Development and Public Administration and neither for Lia Olguta Vasilescu moving to the Ministry of Transport.
According to the Constitution, the head of state is entitled to refuse a minister proposal only one time, and provided he motivates his denial.