Romania's designated prime minister Victor Ponta presented on Wednesday the structure and members of the future Government. It will include many more ministerial seats than before, many of which split from existing governing bodies. Ponta's team was announced after days of negotiations between the governing Social Liberal Union (USL), formed of Ponta's Social Democrats and the National Liberal Party, who won the December 9 parliamentary elections by a large majority.
The proposed ministers are due to face hearings in the Parliament before their are voted in Parliament and then take oath before the President, which will happen later this week, as Ponta announced today.
Ponta has been prime minister for seven months before his USL union received a large majority of votes in the elections. It strengthened its support by focusing on its rivaly with President Traian Basescu and the Democratic Liberals (PDL) who supported him and have governed for a long period of crisis until spring this year.
Things of note in Ponta's new team, as compared to his previous government: Education minister Ecaterina Andronescu is replaced with a man close to her; Mona Pivniceru remains Justice minister; a strong position for top PSD leader Liviu Dragnea, who thus strengthens his political influence; influential local Liberal leader Relu Fenechiu takes over as Transport minister.
The structure of the proposed government:
Deputy PM, minister for Regional Development and Administration - Liviu DragneaDeputy PM, Finance minister - Daniel ChitoiuDeputy PM without portfolio - Gabriel OpreaAgriculture and Rural Development minister - Daniel ConstantinInterior minister - Radu StroeForeign Affairs minister - Titus CorlateanJustice minister - Mona PivniceruLabor minister - Mariana CampeanuIndustry and Trade minister - Varujan VosganianTransport minister
