Romanian president designates centrist ex-premier as new prime minister

Foto: INQUAM/George Călin

Romanian President Klaus Iohannis on Monday designated Dacian Ciolos, a former prime minister and head of a centrist party to form a new government, a move that could end a political stalemate.

No-confidence vote

The announcement came after a Liberal-led minority government was dismissed in a no confidence vote in Parliament last week.

The development may boost chances of a new majority coalition government of the Liberal Party, Ciolos’ Save Romania group, and a minority Hungarian party.

”Parties came with different approaches,” the president said after talks with parliamentary party leaders. „There’s one that stuck and I’d like to go forward with,” he added.

Covid-19 cases

The new government has the challenges of a surge in Covid-19 cases and soaring energy prices.

Dacian Ciolos, 52, was prime minister of a technocrat government from November 2015 to January 2017.

His group left the previous government after outgoing prime minister Florin Citu dismissed the party’s justice minister, triggering the latest political crisis.

Romania has had seven prime ministers since 2017.

Tensions

The president’s pick for prime minister should defuse tensions between the Liberals and Ciolos’ group. It is also designed to keep the Social Democrats and the far-right AUR group out of the government. Mr Iohannis formerly led the Liberal Party.

Mr Ciolos has been critical of the Romanian president in recent months. However, the  development is likely to bring the pair, who have no significant political differences, closer.

Mr Iohannis met Romania’s political parties on Monday to discuss the formation of a new government after the dismissal of Mr Citu’s nine-month-old cabinet.

Cross-party agreement

He said that there was cross-party agreement on the main challenges facing Romania: the pandemic, energy price hikes and the EU recovery fund. “We need to tap into the large sums available to Romania… and not kick this opportunity away.”

“I reiterated the importance of the preparations for winter and I underlined what is really important for Romanians, rather than political fights between different actors.”

Romania’s centrist government falls in no-confidence vote

 

 

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