The leaders of the UDMR (representative of the Magyar community in Romania) are discussing on Friday whether to accept the proposal of the coalition partners, after the failed negotiations on Thursday. Sources from the governing coalition told Digi24.ro that Nicolae Ciucă and Marcel Ciolacu proposed to Kelemen Hunor the post of deputy prime minister and two ministries: European Funds and Environment.
The offer made by the two PSD and PNL leaders for the UDMR came after the social democrats insisted on keeping the Ministry of Transport, and the PNL requested from the UDMR the Ministry of Development for Nicolae Ciucă.
At Thursday’s talks, Kelemen Hunor would have conveyed to the government partners that “without Development we cannot continue”. UDMR believes that Minister Cseke Attila is one of the most competent ministers in the government and has nothing to complain about.
But, according to Digi24.ro information, Nicolae Ciucă and Marcel Ciolacu told Kelemen Hunor that “that’s how it is in politics”.
Therefore, Kelemen decided to consult with the leaders of the Union to decide whether to accept the PNL-PSD offer or whether they would leave the governing coalition.
“UDMR does not want to leave the Coalition. We believe that our ministers are efficient. No one blames them for anything at all. We requested compliance with the political agreement regarding the rotary, a political agreement of which we are not part, I was not a party to the signing of this political agreement regarding the rotary. I understood and I supported the reduction of the number of ministries and I agreed with the integration of the Ministry of Sports into another ministry and that is why we were very surprised by the request of the PNL regarding the transfer of the Ministry of Development to the PNL,” said UDRM leader Antal on Thursday Arpad.
On Friday, the general secretary of the PNL, Lucian Bode, stated that if the PSD wants to keep certain portfolios, the liberals demand the re-discussion of all ministries, and the UDMR would remain with a post of deputy prime minister and two ministries.
“We proposed to reduce the number of ministries to a maximum of 18 and to renegotiate all the portfolios, so that at the end of next week we will have the structure of the Government finalized,” he explained. “If we remain in the formula of 18 ministries, the UDMR will have two ministries and the deputy prime minister, the PNL will have 8 ministries, the deputy prime minister and the general secretary of the Government, and the PSD will have 8 ministries, the prime minister, the deputy prime minister and the chancellor of the Government” “If in the two ministries for the UDMR agree on a forum agreed by PNL and PSD, they sit at the table. If not, it’s their lordships’ decision,” Bode added.
Sources also say the reduction in the number of ministries will be done by merging the Ministry of Sport with the Ministry of Family, Youth and Equal Opportunities; also the Ministry of Entrepreneurship and Tourism will transfer to the Ministry of Economy.