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> http://www.politico.eu/article/romanian-pm-dacian-ciolos-gives-caretaker-cabinet-a-brussels-flavor/ <http://www.politico.eu/article/romanian-pm-dacian-ciolos-gives-caretaker-cabinet-a-brussels-flavor/>
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> Romanian PM gives caretaker cabinet a Brussels flavor
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> Romania's Prime Minister-designate Dacian Ciolos | EPA
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> Romanian PM gives caretaker cabinet a Brussels flavor
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> Romania’s new government leaders makes his cabinet choices.
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> Romanian Prime Minister designate Dacian Cioloș <http://www.politico.eu/article/former-commissioner-to-be-romanian-prime-minister/> on Sunday announced his technocratic government, following the November 4 resignation <http://www.politico.eu/article/romanian-pm-ponta-steps-down-after-protests/> of his predecessor Victor Ponta, who was forced out after a deadly nightclub fire that killed 55.
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> Cioloș, the European Union agriculture commissioner between 2009 and 2014 and then special adviser on food security to Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker, chose mainly fellow EU officials, former members of the European Parliament or Romanian diplomats in top Brussels jobs.
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> “I tried to choose competent people, with experience in the field, who come from the private sector, from the Romanian or European public administration, or from civil society” Cioloș said. “I went for people with a vision and with management experience.”
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> About a third of the cabinet will be women, a relatively unusual step in Romania.
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> Anca Paliu Dragu, an economic data analyst at the Commission’s Directorate General for Economic and Financial Affairs, will become finance minister.
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> Her main task will be overseeing Romania’s 2016 budget, a job made more difficult by the national parliament’s decision last week to increase public-sector salaries by 10 percent ahead of local and parliamentary elections next year. The measure, which had cross-party support, could push Romania’s budget deficit above the 3 percent of gross domestic product maximum permitted by EU rules.
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> Another former Commission employee and current expert at the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, Aura Raducu, is set to become minister for EU funds. Since joining the EU in 2007, Romania has done a poor job of absorbing and spending EU funds.
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> Other new faces include Cristiana Pasca Palmen, a head of unit at DG Development, as environment minister; Achim Irimescu, head of the agriculture section at Romania’s permanent representation to the EU, as agriculture minister; Mihnea Motoc, Romania’s ambassador to the EU until August and now ambassador to the U.K., as defense minister; and Victor Vlad Grigorescu, a former official at the permanent representation in Brussels, as energy minister.
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> Cioloș also chose people from the private sector and from civil society organizations as his ministers.
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> Many of the names put forward by Cioloș, including university professors, doctors, engineers and other experts, are new to Romanian public opinion and appear to reflect popular demands for a clean slate. Ponta had been battling accusations of corruption and plagiarism, but was forced to resign after about 20,000 people took to the streets <http://www.politico.eu/article/corruption-kills-protests-ponta-romania-resignation/> to protest corruption and mismanagement following the deadly club fire.
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> Cioloș’ cabinet choices have to face parliamentary hearings; a vote of confidence is expected by November 20.
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> Authors:
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Eric D. Schwerin
Rosemont Seneca Partners, LLC
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eschwerin@rosemontseneca.com <x-msg://59/eschwerin@obblaw.com>
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