Romania’s new Government led by Sorin Grindeanu was voted on Wednesday evening by the new Parliament. The cabinet was validated with 296 votes for and 133 against, according to Mediafax.

The new ministers were supposed to be sworn in at the Cotroceni Palace, the Romanian President’s official residence, in the evening and take over their portfolios on Thursday morning. The mandate of the former technocrat Government led by Dacian Ciolos officially expired on Wednesday as the new Government was invested.

The leaders of the Social Democratic Party (PSD) and the Liberal Democratic Alliance (ALDE), Liviu Dragnea and Calin Popescu Tariceanu, together with appointed Prime Minister Sorin Grindeanu presented the list of proposed ministers on Tuesday evening, January 3. PSD and ALDE make the government coalition and have the majority of seats in the Parliament after the December 11 elections.

On Wednesday morning, the Parliament’s special committees heard the proposed ministers and validated them. This was a formality and many of the candidates didn’t even get to answer the questions some MPs from the Opposition asked them.

All of them presented lists of promises based on PSD’s governing program. The main themes include reducing and simplifying taxation (“all taxes that can’t be paid online will be removed”), more money allotted to investments in the public healthcare and education systems, higher pensions and salaries, higher EU funds absorption, as well as changes to the country’s judicial legislation.

The top 10 economic promises that helped the Social-Democrats win the elections in Romania

editor@romania-insider.com