Romania president nominates ex-economy minister as premier

By ALISON MUTLER

Published June 26, 2017

Romanian President Klaus Iohannis on Monday nominated the outgoing economy minister as the new prime minister, saying the country needed to end a political crisis.

Iohannis formally proposed lawmaker Mihai Tudose, 50, the economy minister in the previous government, adding: "This political crisis is gravely harming Romania." Parliament needs to approve his nomination this week.

Earlier, Iohannis met with Liviu Dragnea, the powerful leader of Romania's biggest political party, the Social Democratic Party and Calin Popescu Tariceanu who heads the junior Alliance of Democrats and Liberals to discuss the coalition's nomination for a new premier after the previous government was dismissed last week by the ruling party.

Tudose is considered to be an ally of Dragnea. Normally, as party leader, Dragnea would be prime minister, but in 2016 he was convicted of vote-rigging, which disqualifies him from holding the post.

The Social Democrats withdrew support for Premier Sorin Grindeanu saying he had underperformed. He refused to resign and the party and its allies ousted Grindeanu's government in a no-confidence vote last week.

URL

https://www.foxnews.com/world/romania-president-nominates-ex-economy-minister-as-premier