Romania gets new government

Romania gets new government

Prime Minister Calin Popescu Tariceanu dropped his main coalition ally Sunday, saying the country needed a coherent government. He fired ministers from the Democratic Party, which is close to President Traian Basescu, and accused the president of undermining the coalition by fueling disputes inside the cabinet.

Basescu said the new cabinet did not reflect the wishes of the electorate, and contended that new elections were needed. But the president does not have the power to dissolve Parliament and call early elections unless lawmakers fail to appoint a new cabinet.

The Democratic Party echoed the president's words. "It is an illegitimate cabinet with an impostor prime minister because he is betraying" the electorate's wishes, said the party leader, Emil Boc.

The new government is made up of Tariceanu's Liberal Party and the main ethnic Hungarian party, the Democratic Union of Hungarians. It needs parliamentary approval but will probably be accepted because the leftist opposition Social Democratic Party has promised its support.

Tariceanu named Teodor Melescanu, a former foreign minister and senior Liberal party member, as the new defense minister. He repeated his choice of Adrian Cioroianu as foreign minister. Basescu had earlier blocked that appointment, saying Cioroianu lacked the necessary experience, and the country has been without a foreign minister for weeks.

"Foreign policy should be a question of debate, not of scandal," said Cioroianu, referring to the rift between Tariceanu and Basescu over the portfolio.

Economy Minister Varjuan Vosganian will stay on and also take charge of the Finance Ministry, replacing Sebastian Vladescu.

Tudor Chiuariu, who heads the anti-fraud department in the prime minister's office, was proposed to replace Macovei as justice minister, a position that will be closely watched by the EU.

Reforms have come to a virtual standstill since Romania joined the wealthy bloc in January because of bickering between the two parties, which came to power in a coalition that ousted ex-communist leftists in 2004.

Tariceanu named Cristian David, a Liberal party member, as interior minister, and Ludovic Orban, deputy mayor of Bucharest, as transportation minister. Both portfolios were previously held by the Democratic Party.

Ethnic Hungarians got two new ministries. Laszlo Borbely was named minister for development, public works and homes, and Attila Korodi was named environment minister.

Parliament will vote this month on whether to begin impeachment proceedings against Basescu, after an opposition-dominated investigating commission said that he had violated the Constitution and was causing political instability in the country.