POLITICS

Romanian Democrats want to test the responses of both public opinion and political class and hence they are making up negotiations within the Coalition in power. They are actually claiming that the four parties in the Coalition are getting ready for substantial changes in the Executive. They claim it will be announced after the PD (Democrat Party), the PNL (National Liberal Party), the PC (Conservative Party) and the UDMR (Democrat Union of Magyars in Romania) fulfil talks on the public administration positions they lose or get.

The PD has got its own view on the way the future restructured government should look like. But no party in the Coalition shares this view. According to PD sources Mediafax is citing, the Democrats want to cut some portfolios and or group some other together so that the Executive would have one single vice prime minister. It would go to a Democrat, naturally. Moreover, the Democrats would like the 23-minister team led by PM Tariceanu to be made up of 17 ministers at most. According to the PD, the final number of ministers would be announced after ending negotiations within the Coalition. But the PD doesn't admit it officially that they are negotiating on Executive positions all on their own. Democrat leader Emil Boc claimed yesterday that the Democrats hadn't talked about restructuring the government.

Copos and Bela kill time

The above-mentioned sources also say the Democrats can't think of a new Executive still including vice prime ministers George Copos (from the PC) and Marko Bela (from the UDMR). Sources mention: "There will be one single vice prime minister from the PD. His attributions will be clearly set, unlike they are now. The present vice PMs are killing time right now."

As vice PM Pogea's achievements have impressed no one so far, the PD sources claim they want Vasile Blaga, a general secretary of the party, to replace the Pogea. Blaga would also continue to be the Interior Minister of Romania. According to the same sources, some ministries will have fusion and a new portfolio will emerge: the Ministry of European Affairs, to be led by Democrat Anca Boagiu. The PD might also be after transport minister Gheorghe Dobre and education minister Mihail Hardau.

But the Democrats have also got ideas about which ministers the Liberals should give up: finance minister Sebastian Vladescu and health minister Eugen Nicolaescu. Some of the portfolios that might vanish after the restructuring might be those of delegate ministers: Cristian David (the PNL), Mihai Voicu (the PNL) and Laszlo Borbely (the UDMR). (...)

Articol disponibil la adresa http://www.ziua.net/display.php?id=200003&data=2006-05-20