The Head of the Prime Minister’s Chancellery, Dragos Tudorache, is the proposal to President Klaus Iohannis to take over the Interior Ministry, Premier Dacian Ciolos has said on Tuesday.
Ciolos confirmed that he has analyzed the possibility of an interim nomination, but he gave it up because he did not want ‘to prolong a state of uncertainty’, opting for a civilian in order to have ‘as much fairness and balance’.
“Given the situation, we have also analyzed in a first phase an interim nomination for several weeks in order to have more time to consider different options for minister. I’ve finally decided not to have an interim nomination. This is an important ministry that has important tasks in the coming period, including elections, ensuring public order and I believe that a caretaker would only prolong a state of uncertainty, which is not useful and fruitful. I’ll go with a definitive proposal for the next four months, for the duration of this government’s mandate. I’ve decided finally to appoint a civilian, for as much fairness and balance, given the sensitivity in the following period. I must be honest and say that I did not have much choice, as it’s hard to convince someone from outside to take over a ministry for four months, which is a difficult and important work, so I decided to submit to the President the proposal for appointing the head of Chancellery Dragos Tudorache,” the premier said in a press statement at Victoria Palace.
He argued that Tudorache has worked closely with MAI and with former minister Toba, “so he is aware how the ministry works.”
PM Ciolos added that his chief of staff, Paul Gheorghiu, will take over the chancellery. The new minister will most probably be sworn in on Wednesday.
Ciolos thanked former Minister Petre Toba for professionalism and expressed his hope that he will clarify the legal situation soon.
Judge in Galati during 1997-2002, Dragos Tudorache later worked for the United Nations in Kosovo and for the European Commission at the Directorate General for Home Affairs, the unit dealing with Schengen.
From November 2013 to 2015 he was head of the International Affairs in the Directorate General for Migration Affairs of the European Commission, and then became head of the chancellery of Prime Minister Dacian Ciolos.
Petre Toba announced he has decided to tender his resignation as interior minister last week, in order to avoid getting the Interior Ministry mired in a public scandal ahead of the general election. Previously, Prime Minister Ciolos said it would be best for Interior Minister Toba to step down.