Romania’s appointed prime minister Viorica Dancila is to have 16 new ministers in her cabinet, out of a total of 27. She announced the proposed ministers on Friday, January 26, after a meeting of the ruling Social Democratic Party PSD’s leaders.

The new government led by Viorica Dancila, Romania’s first woman prime minister and PSD’s third PM in just one year, will have four deputy prime ministers, one more than the previous cabinet headed by Mihai Tudose.

Paul Stanescu will remain deputy prime minister and minister of development in the new government, and Gratiela Gavrilescu will also stay as deputy prime minister and minister of environment. The two new deputy prime ministers are former finance minister Viorel Stefan, who doesn't have an allotted portfolio, and former minister delegate for European affairs Ana Birchall, who will be in charge of Romania's relation with its strategic partners, especially the US.

Carmen Dan will remain interior minister in the Dancila government. She held the same position in the Tudose cabinet, her quarrel with the prime minister being the reason that led to Mihai Tudose’s resignation. The scandal started from the case of the pedophile cop who sexually assaulted two children in an elevator. Dan asked the Romanian Police chief’s resignation, but Tudose refused and accused Carmen Dan of lying when she told him that she had found a replacement for this position. Thus, he said he couldn’t work with Carmen Dan anymore.

Teodor Melescanu will also remain minister of foreign affairs, Mihai Fifor will continue to be in charge of the Defense Ministry, Lia Olguta Vasilescu will keep the labor portfolio, and Tudorel Toader will still be justice minister. The other ministers from the Tudose government who will also be present in the new cabinet are Petrea Daea – agriculture minister, Viorel Ilie – minister for the relation with the Parliament, and Victor Negrescu – minister delegate for EU affairs.

Meanwhile, Eugen Teodorovici will replace Ionut Misa as finance minister, Valentin Popa will take Liviu Pop’s position as education minister, Danut Andrusca will be the new economy minister (replacing Gheorghe Simon), Sorina Pintea will take over as health minister (replacing Florian Bodog), Anton Anton will be in charge of the Energy Ministry (replacing Toma Petcu), and Lucian Sova will take Felix Stroe’s place as transport minister.

Rovana Plumb will return as minister in the new government. She will replace Marius Nica as head of the EU Funds Ministry. Plumb was dismissed from the government led by Mihai Tudose in November last year, after her name appeared in a case of abuse of office investigated by the National Anticorruption Department (DNA).

The other new ministers are Bogdan Cojocaru - communications minister, replacing Lucian Sova, Stefan Radu Oprea – minister for business environment, replacing Ilan Laufer, George Ivascu – culture minister, replacing Lucian Romascanu, Ion Denes – minister of waters and forests, replacing Doina Pana, Nicolae Burnete – minister of research, replacing Lucian Georgescu, Ioana Bran – minister of youth and sports, replacing Marius Dunca, Bogdan Trif – minister of tourism, replacing Mircea Titus Dobre, and Natalia Intotero – minister for Romanians everywhere, replacing Andreea Pastirnac.

Most of the new ministers come from PSD organizations in Moldova and Transylvania, which had very few representatives in the cabinets led by Sorin Grindeanu and Mihai Tudose.

Next, all the proposed ministers will be heard in the Parliament’s committees.

President Klaus Iohannis nominated Viorica Dancila as prime minister last week, at the proposal of PSD. The ruling party had to find a new prime minister after Mihai Tudose resigned, as he had lost the party’s support.

Two of the biggest Facebook communities that have been organizing protests against the new justice laws and the criminal code changes in Romania criticized president Klaus Iohannis’ decision to appoint Viorica Dancila as the new prime minister. The two groups called this “an inacceptable gesture of complicity with PSD”.

Irina Marica, irina.marica@romania-insider.com