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The new Cabinet took the oath of office
The ministers of the Mihai Tudose Government on Thursday evening took the oath of office at the Cotroceni presidential Palace, in the presence of President Klaus Iohannis and of the two Chairs of the chambers of the Parliament, Liviu Dragnea and Calin Popescu-Tariceanu.
President Klaus Iohannis on Thursday signed the Decree for the appointment of Romania's Government.
President Klaus Iohannis on Thursday stressed that Romania needs a governmental success, adding that the former Grindeanu gov't remains in history through "the ill-suited Ordinance 13," whilst the PSD - ALDE (Social Democratic Party - Alliance of Liberals and Democrats) coalition by their having sacked through no-confidence motion their own government.
"We badly need a governmental success. (...) Only six month have passed since we have met here to invest a PSD - ALDE gov't (...) A brief, very brief formula, that would characterize these first six months. (...) Be it the fault of the Prime Minister, who didn't plant himself in office all alone, but unfortunately he didn't know when to walk away alone, or be it someone else's fault, this is not an analysis for myself or the Romanians to do. (...) The no-confidence motion through which you have sacked your own government - is a novelty in the European space. (...) The former gov't will remain in history for the ill-suited Ordinance 13, and the PSD - ALDE coalition for ousting their own gov't," Iohannis said at the Cotroceni Palace after the members of the new Cabinet took the oath of office.
He asked the ruling Social Democratic Party (PSD) - Alliance of Liberals and Democrats (ALDE) coalition, but also the Hungarian Democratic Union of Romania (UDMR) to put an end to "fiscal, budgetary flip-flopping", underscoring that the Romanians should be offered guarantees that the government defends and promotes the rule of law.
''Esteemed PSD, ALDE, UDMR members, on behalf of the Romanians I am asking you to put an end to this fiscal and budgetary flip-flopping. Referring to the solidarity tax (...) show solidarity with the Romanians and govern responsibly. I am calling on you to govern in such a way that we keep within the 3 percent deficit margin. I am asking you to govern in such a way that the Romanians have the guarantee that the government of the country defends and promotes the rule of law. I want us to never ever again come against setbacks of the kind of Ordinance 13. Please take all the necessary steps to show our NATO and EU partners, our allies that we are serious people, that we are a serious country, despite all political bumps and that we know how to honor our commitments," Klaus Iohannis said at the oath-taking ceremony of the Mihai Tudose governing line-up.
According to AP correspondent, President Klaus Iohannis had harsh words for the 27-member Cabinet that was sworn in before him, saying the ruling coalition "didn't know how to govern" after it ousted its own government in a vote of no-confidence last week. He criticized the country's new leftist government just hours after it was sworn in, saying the ruling party risked scaring off international investors due to "fiscal dithering."
Iohannis, a political opponent of the leftist coalition that won the December 2016 election, urged the coalition to end "this fiscal dithering" after the government suggested it may introduce new taxes, cut some pensions and would not lower the sales tax in 2018 as promised.
"Such behavior is not within the framework of fiscal stability," he said. "Such behavior surely causes doubt in the business community."
Parliament approved the new government Thursday in a 275-102 vote after dismissing the last one amid political infighting in the ruling party. Many ministers are keeping their jobs despite being criticized for alleged underperformance.