President Basescu: Romania’s military forces abroad will accomplish commitments previously settled with alliances and coalitions (Mar 30, 2007)

Mar 30, 2007 (Romania Report)

On Thursday, March 29, Cotroceni Palace, Bucharest – Romanian President Traian Basescu chaired a meeting of the country’s Supreme Council for Homeland Security (CSAT). The national defence strategy was adopted and some other critical issues regarding the homeland security were tackled as well.

During a press conference, following the four and a half hours meeting, President Basescu said that the Supreme Council for Homeland Security (CSAT) agreed upon the national defence strategy (part of the homeland security strategy) and that the Parliament is to receive on Friday the strategy’s text together with the past year CSAT activity report.

Mr. Basescu said that the Romanian army strategy for deploying troops abroad was also adopted. President Basescu underlined that the country’s military presence abroad will accomplish commitments previously settled with MATO, EU, UN or those which result from alliances and coalitions.

The CSAT assessed the execution stage of the communication platform to be shared by all governmental and other state entities (i.e. the Home Affairs Ministry, the intelligence agencies, the Defence Ministry, and other governmental organizations).

President Traian Basescu also said that CSAT assessed the ongoing process aimed to improve the Romanian army capacity by including the NATO’s network centric warfare (NCW) approach.

The progress of the offset contract regarding the two British T-22 frigates acquired by the Romanian military navy was also discussed. Mr. Basescu said that the country’s MoD is still negotiating with BAE Systems the ships’ maintenance and upgrading programme. The CSAT decided that the contract with BAE should be signed in the next 30 days, or else an international tender would set up in order to get the required works and services.

President Basescu further mentioned the other topics tackled during the CSAT meeting: the future Romania’s presidency of the UN Human Rights Council (June 2007 – June 2008), a preliminary approach regarding a better national heritage protection, a Ministry of Justice report regarding fight against corruption in 2006, the energy sector security, the homeland security bills under parliamentary scrutiny, etc.

Mr. Basescu also underlined that Romania is to back Serbia’s sovereignty over Kosovo at the EU Foreign Ministers meeting on Friday.



Romania Report – according to a Romanian Presidency press release

Romania gets a new minority Govt.

Apr 3, 2007 (Romania Report)

The Romanian PM Calin Popescu-Tariceanu reshuffled cabinet on Monday and formed a new minority government after months of political power struggle with President Traian Basescu and his main ally, the Democrat Party.

Notably absent from the new lineup were Monica Macovei and Sebastian Vladescu. Mrs. Macovei as justice minister was the architect of judicial reforms that earned Romania entry to the European Union on Jan. 1. The ‘Stratfor’ think tank yesterday said EU officials felt uncomfortable when hearing that the anti-corruption champion Macovei was ousted. Former finance minister Sebastian Vladescu (National-Liberal), even if a closed friend of PM Tariceanu, lost his office as mammoth economy and finance ministry was given to Varujan Vosganian.

As we reported yesterday, on Sunday, PM Calin Popescu-Tariceanu denounced his main coalition ally (the pro-Basescu Democrat Party), saying the country needed a articulate government. He sacked the Democrat ministers, and again accused the President of undermining the coalition by fueling political disputes.

Mr. Basescu said the new cabinet did not reflect the wishes of the voting public (who elected him back in 2004 to reform the political climate), and contended that new polls were needed. But, according to the Romanian legal framework, the President does not have the power to dissolve Parliament and call early elections unless lawmakers repeatedly fail to appoint a new cabinet. Unfortunately, except for the Democrats and Liberal-Democrats, the parliamentary parties show no interest in early elections – as they are down in opinion polls while Basescu and his supporters are still ahead.

The Democrat Party endorses the president's words. "It is an illegitimate cabinet with an impostor prime minister because he is betraying" the electorate's wishes, said the party leader, Emil Boc. Today, Mr. Boc persisted and said Tariceanu is “a power usurper”. Odd enough, the Democrats will have go in opposition, while the Liberals will further promote the governance programme agreed upon with their former allies, the Democrats, back in 2004.

The new minority government (enjoying the direct support some 20% of MPs in the Parliament) is made up of Tariceanu's National Liberal Party and the main ethnic Hungarian party, the Democratic Union of Hungarians in Romania (UDMR). It needs the MPs approval but will probably be accepted because the leftist opposition Social-Democrat Party has promised start-up voting support.

Tariceanu named Teodor Melescanu, a former foreign minister and senior Liberal party member, as the new defense minister. He reiterated his nomination of Adrian Cioroianu (Liberal) as foreign minister. Basescu had earlier denied that appointment, saying Cioroianu lacked the significant diplomatic experience, and the country has been without a foreign minister for months.

"Foreign policy should be a in line with Romania’s interest and not a matter of personal disputes," said Cioroianu, referring to the rift between Tariceanu and Basescu over the portfolio.

As said above, the economy minister Varjuan Vosganian (Liberal) will stay on and also take charge of the finance ministry, replacing Sebastian Vladescu.

Tudor Chiuariu (Liberal), who heads the anti-fraud department in the prime minister's office, was proposed to replace Macovei as justice minister, a position that will be closely watched by the EU.

Reforms have come to an actual gridlock since Romania joined the EU bloc in January because of bickering between the two parties (Democrat and National Liberals), which came to power in a coalition that ousted post-communist leftists in 2004.

PM Tariceanu named Cristian David (Liberal) as interior minister, and Ludovic Orban, deputy mayor of Bucharest, as transportation minister. Both portfolios were previously held by prominent Democrat Party members.

A new SMEs minister was set up and Liberal Ovidiu Silaghi is to take this office.

Ethnic Hungarians got two new ministries. Laszlo Borbely was nominated as minister for development, public works and homes, and Attila Korodi was assigned as environment minister. Other two UDMR members retain their offices – i.e. deputy-PM Marko Bela, as well as the communications minister Zsolt Nagy.

Local analysts say that the new Cabinet has no future, and if by chance it survives it will perform poorly.

Mr. Tariceanu’s new Cabinet nominees were passed by the Parliament today, as 302 MPs voted in favour of the reshuffled Govt’s list of ministers.



Romania Report