After the first political consultations, the appointed Premier Calin Popescu-Tariceanu has secured support from the parliamentary majority by making room for PUR and UDMR in the government along with the PNL-PD Alliance.
The future government can also rely on the national minorities' vote in the Parliament, coming from 18 deputies and on the support of the 5 MPs of the National Democrat Bloc. Under the circumstances, Tariceanu dropped consultations with PSD (Social Democrat Party), a political party he announced he will not have as ally for the government in order to not compromise the anti-corruption fight and with PRM (Greater Romania Party).
"UDMR (Democratic Alliance of Hungarians in Romania) will get four seats in the new Cabinet, one of which will be that of a state minister without a portfolio, though, who will co-ordinate three ministries," Premier Calin Popescu-Tariceanu announced after a new meeting with UDMR's leader Marko Bela yesterday.
The UDMR state minister will be Marko Bela. He will not hold a portfolio and will co-ordinate the education, culture and integration ministries. As for the portfolios that UDMR will get, Marko Bela said nothing was decided yet, but explained some of the Magyar party's goals would be included in the ruling programme, however.
After its undecidedness in the last few weeks and after a new round of talks, PUR (Romanian Humanist Party) yesterday decided to join the PNL (National Liberal Party) - PD (Democrat Party) Alliance and UDMR for forming the government.
"PUR will join the coalition that provides the parliamentary majority. We have already started negotiations for harmonising our programmes and are discussing about PUR's participation in the new government," stated Calin Popescu Tariceanu, after a meeting with PUR's leader Dan Voiculescu.
Voiculescu had previously met with President Traian Basescu. "We discussed about the need for political stability," Voiculescu said without going into details.
Although the talks over the governmental positions are still open, Tariceanu announced PUR would get a state minister position - the equivalent of the vice Premier position and probably three minister portfolios.
PUR's steering away from PSD (Social Democrat Party), a party whose slates it used to gain access to the Parliament, is criticised by its electoral allies. "It is regrettable that PUR did not eventually keep its end of the political agreement it had with PSD," Titus Corlatean, the PSD's spokesperson said.
mirela.luca@zf.ro
