Johannis tapped as new Romanian prime minister

14/10/2009

The minority government was the first to be toppled in the last 20 years after a no-confidence vote in parliament.

By Paul Ciocoiu for Southeast European Times in Bucharest – 14/10/09

Romanian Prime Minister Emil Boc (centre), Tourism Minister Elena Udrea (centre left) and Economy Minister Adriean Videanu (right) attend the vote in parliament Tuesday (October 13th). [Getty Images]

The Social Democratic Party (PSD), the National Liberal Party (PNL) and the Democratic Alliance of Hungarians (UDMR), all currently in opposition, agreed on Tuesday (October 13th) to name Klaus Johannis, mayor of Sibiu and leader of the German Democratic Forum, as prime minister.

The three parties, which dismissed the current cabinet through a vote of no confidence earlier in the day, will officially inform President Traian Basescu of their decision.

The PSD, the PNL and the UDMR have also agreed that the next cabinet would be formed exclusively of technocrats, and that most of its attention will be on foreign affairs and justice portfolios.

Mediafax sources say the leaders of the three parties decided not to sign an agreement to form a coalition to support the new cabinet, which means that it will be considered a temporary solution, most probably leading to an early general election, once the November 22nd presidential vote is over.

According to the constitution, however, Basescu has the right to disregard the nomination, despite the fact that the three parties hold enough seats in parliament to confirm the cabinet.

Some speculate Basescu will nominate Prime Minister Emil Boc.

In all, 254 lawmakers voted in favour of the no confidence motion, while 174 opposed it. This is the first government since 1990 to be toppled through a motion filed by the opposition.

"We have lost a battle, but not the entire war. The government fell because the MPs didn’t want to lose their pensions and privileges", said Boc, referring to a recent project that would reduce preferential pensions and salaries to cut public spending.

"With all this political bickering, Romania is basically wasting two months of fight against the recession. A technocrat government, conceived for 45 days, maintains the uncertainty and will keep the foreign investors away, while those present on the internal market will be more cautious," Silviu Sergiu, senior political editor with the local daily Evenimentul Zilei told SETimes.

"On a political level, this crisis deals a hard blow to Basescu because he basically loses control over the government right before the presidential elections, which is a major disadvantage," Sergiu added.