Berceanu Replaces Dobre

After a long lasting discussion with the chief of the state, the DP members have decided yesterday to outplay the liberals, by reorganizing the DP side of the Government: Vice-Prime Minister Pogea is out of the Government and Gheorghe Dobre is out o the Ministry of Transport.

"There are only three sides in this Government: the Alliance, CP (the Conservatory Party) and DUHR (the Democratic Union of the Hungarians in Romania). The Alliance will pay for the Government’s decisions, but not CP nor DUHR, which will still have 7% from the Hungarians. Therefore, the Alliance is the one that has to figure things out!" This warning went to the liberals yesterday and was sent by the DP (the Democratic Party) general secretary, Vasile Blaga, who wanted to send a "political message" to the reorganization that the democrats made in their side, since the coalition didn’t allow them to. Therefore, DP got its Vice-PM, Gheorghe Pogea, out of the Government yesterday and said they would not name any one else instead and that no other would be able to name a minister in his place. According to the DP leader, Emil Boc, Pogea "dedicated himself to the Vice-PM function" and got involved in solving many crises at Government level, but the Vice-Prime Minister is not a justified function anymore, since they were accepted at the political formation of Government, but they are not efficient. Pogea, who was only supported by the Labor Minister, Gheorghe Barbu, during the Permanent Bureau meeting, seemed as he had made peace with the party’s idea, and said this reorganization was necessary.

DOBRE, POOR IMAGE

The reshuffling only targeted Gheorghe Dobre, the Minister of Transport. The media mentioned Dobre’s resignation almost monthly, and DP supported him every time, even though during the party meetings, Boc went as far as giving ultimatums to the Minister, which regarded the Bechtel Freeway mostly. At that time, the DP leaders said they couldn’t replace Dobre due to Basescu’s support for him. However, the President agreed to the Minister’s resignation even before his back surgery. So, yesterday, the Transport responsibility got to the former Industry Ministry during the RDC (Romanian Democratic Convention) Government, Radu Berceanu. However, one thing has to be corrected: Dobre’s "impotence" referred only to his image. The party doesn’t have any reproaches for him, he "did a lot of good things for the money in the transport budget", but he did not find a way to make it public, according to Emil Boc. Now, Berceanu also has to "actuate the ministry politically" as well.

BASESCU’S OK

Of course, such a decision couldn’t have been taken without the approval from the DP supreme leader, Traian Basescu. The democrat leaders and the President were supposed to meet in Neptun on Sunday, at the President’s protocol mansion. He announced he was not able to get to the seaside, not even by helicopter, so the discussion took place in Bucharest, until midnight. Good news for Minister Hardau who got away from the reshuffling due to the support of the unions. However, according to Boc, the President received the DP decision right before the press conference, in the same time with the appeal for PM Tariceanu.

Translated by Sorin Balan