Romanian President Tells EU Ambassadors He Wants PM Familiar With IMF

Romanian President Traian Basescu, who is expected to nominate a new prime minister after the government collapsed Tuesday, told EU ambassadors Wednesday he is thinking of appointing someone who “speaks the IMF’s language”, people at the meeting told MEDIAFAX.

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Romanian daily Gandul reported Wednesday in its online edition that democrat liberals are considering proposing Lucian Croitoru, adviser to the central bank governor, for prime minister. Croitoru declined to comment.

Croitoru was backed by democrat liberals for a deputy governor position within the central bank's board, but lost to liberal Bogdan Olteanu. Croitoru has past experience as Romania's representative with the International Monetary Fund.

Basescu has invited parliamentary parties for a new round of talks Wednesday afternoon and at 5 p.m. and the Social Democratic Party, Liberal Party, Democratic Union of Hungarians and the group of national minorities in parliament sent him a letter saying they endorse Klaus Johannis, mayor of the central city of Sibiu, for prime minister.

Romania's centrist minority government was ousted in a no-confidence vote in Parliament Tuesday, raising doubts over the country's ability to comply with the terms of a EUR20 billion IMF-led financial package.

The country, hit hard by the economic downturn, had to turn to international institutions for financial aid earlier in the year. The bailout, however, came with a series of strings attached, including severe cuts in public spending and an overhauling of the pension system.

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