Vasilescu Withdraws Candidacy For Development Office Following President Refusals

Vasilescu announced that she made the decision following a discussion with Social Democrat Party (PSD) leader Liviu Dragnea, during which they convened that challenging the president’s refusal at the Constitutional Court would block the cabinet role for at least another 45 days.

“I did not make a personal aim of being appointed to a cabinet office, but am I convinced that, just as I managed unblock grand local infrastructure projects during my term as mayor or apply the entire governing program for the Labor Ministry, I would have unblocked local, regional and national grand infrastructure projects for the ministries I was nominated for by PSD,” Vasilescu announced in a post on her Facebook page.

The former minister added that she will continue to serve her term in the Parliament as Dolj county MP.

The president last rejected the Government’s nomination of Vasilescu for the office of regional development minister on Thursday, and requested the prime minister to propose a different candidate for the office.

This was the fifth time the president rejected the former labor minister for a cabinet role since mid-December 2018, when she was initially proposed for the office of transports minister.

The head of state said in a letter sent to Prime Minister Viorica Dancila that Vasilescu, a former mayor of Craiova and labor minister, does not have specialized training in any of the fields concerning the regional development office.