Romania’s New Ministers Take Oath Of Office

Lower Chamber speaker Liviu Dragnea and Senate chairman Calin Popescu Tariceanu absented themselves from the swearing-in ceremony as a form of protest against the President’s recent statements regarding the reshuffled ministers.

The event comes in the aftermath of the cabinet reshuffle Prime Minister Mihai Tudose announced early last week and which included former deputy premier and development minister Sevil Shhaideh, former minister in charge of EU funds Rovana Plumb and former transport minister Razvan Cuc.

Anticorruption prosecutors are investigating Sevil Shhaideh for abuse of office in a land-transfer case and had demanded an investigation into Rovana Plumb for complicity to abuse of office in the same case, something which Tudose said affects the European Commission’s perception on Romania. Razvan Cuc had received widespread criticism for his performance as minister.

The Lower Chamber rejected Tuesday prosecutors’ demand for the criminal investigation into Plumb.