President Signs Decrees Vacating Transports And Development Offices Following Deadlock

Following the decree, Transports Minister Lucian Sova and Regional Development Minister Paul Stanescu have been released from office, more than one month after they resigned.

However, Iohannis did not make any announcement regarding the proposals for the cabinet roles made by Prime Minister Viorica Dancila.

The head of state was forced to vacate the offices following a Constitutional Court ruling regarding the situation on December 19.

According to the decision, the President must immediately issue the decrees vacating the offices of transport minister and regional development minister, after Lucian Sova and Paul Stanescu, respectively, decided to resign from the offices.

The court also ruled that Iohannis must provide an immediate and reasoned response to proposals made by the Prime Minister Viorica Dancila for the two ministries: Lia Olguta Vasilescu for the regional development office and Mircea Draghici as transport minister.

The decision is final and generally mandatory.

The president rejected the first two proposals for the offices, made by the prime minister during a cabinet reshuffle in November, while he also refused to dismiss Sova and Stanescu from their roles.

The two ministers eventually resigned, but the president continued to delay the issuing of their dismissal decrees, until the Government filed a constitutional conflict challenge regarding the situation earlier this month.

The Romanian head of state announced on Wednesday that he will make a decision on the subject after the Constitutional Court announces its ruling in the case.