Ruling Party Decides On New Proposals For Transportations, Development Ministers – Sources

The move follows the refusal of President Klaus Iohannis to appoint the initial nominees for the two offices.

Vasilescu, who until yesterday served as Romania’s labor minister, was initially nominated for the transportations job, but the proposal was refused by President Iohannis on Tuesday, together with that of businessman Ilan Laufer as regional development minister.

The meeting was attended by party leader Liviu Dragnea and Prime Minister Viorica Dancila, but also by top-ranked social democrats such as Niculae Badalau, Dragos Benea, Rodica Nassar or Mihai Fifor.

The two offices were supposed to be included in a government reshuffle announced by the social democratson Monday, with their plans delayed by Iohannis accepting only six of the eight proposed ministerial swaps. The newly-appointed ministers were sworn-in on Tuesday.

According to a Constitutional Court decision, the president can only refuse nominations for a cabinet office once with reason, while the Prime Minister cannot make the same rejected proposal for the same office a second time.