Pro-EU prime minister Marcel Ciolacu reappointed in Romania
The pro-European Marcel Ciolacu, the outgoing social democratic prime minister, was reappointed as Romania's head of government on Monday. The decision came after a coalition agreement was reached earlier in the day to keep out the far-right parties.
The Social Democratic Party (PSD) won Romania's parliamentary elections on 1 December and will have the support of the centre-right National Liberal Party (PNL). The Hungarian minority party, the UDMR, along with several smaller minority parties, will also be part of the coalition.
Ciolacu was nominated as the new prime minister on Monday by liberal president Klaus Iohannis. The nomination marks an astonishing comeback for 57-year-old Ciolacu. Just a few weeks ago, he was on the verge of disappearing from the political scene after he stepped down as PSD party leader and being eliminated in the now annulled presidential election.
Budget deficit
One of the new government's priorities is to formulate an approach to tackling one of Europe's largest budget deficit in order to avert a possible credit rating downgrade. The government is also under pressure to prevent the far right from making major gains in a re-run of the disputed presidential election in March or April.
"It will not be an easy mandate for the future government," Ciolacu said on Monday. "We are aware that we are in the midst of a deep political crisis. It is also a crisis of trust, and this coalition aims to regain the trust of citizens, the trust of the people."
"We are aware that we are in the midst of a deep political crisis"
PHOTO © Daniel MIHAILESCU / AFP
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