Ruling Party Secretary General: President Refused Cabinet Proposals Without Reason

“We will not have anyone to lead transports and regional development. Our European partners will asked who will lead these fields, who will assume these roles, and we’ll have to say that we will (collectively, ed.), as we don’t have anyone to because Mr. Klaus Werner Iohannis does not want to appoint. Two seats are empty because that’s how Klaus Werner Iohannis felt like doing,” Stefanescu said in a televised statement on Friday.

The PSD secretary-general also criticized the president for blocking the project for the 2019 state budget, which could not be passed in 2019 due to a late review from the country’s Supreme Defense Council.

Romanian President Klaus Iohannis announced on Friday that he will reject proposals made by Prime Minister Viorica Dancila for new transports and development ministers, continuing the month-long uncertainty regarding the offices.

The president also said that he will publish an official reasoning for his decision.

“I have not yet made a formal refusal response, because I will indeed refuse them. My team is working on this analysis, but by mid-next week I will make the reasons for my refusal public,” said Iohannis in a press conference on Friday.

Prime Minister Viorica Dancila proposed Lia Olguta Vasilescu for the regional development office and Mircea Draghici for the transports office in December, after President Iohannis refused her initial nominations for the offices during a cabinet reshuffle.