Premier Boc sacrifices six ministers to stay in office

2 sep 2010 Autor: Iulian Anghel

The government reshuffle was much greater in scope than expected, both in terms of the value of the portfolios debated and of the powerful political positions that some of those sidelined held.
By edition's close the following resignations had been confirmed: Finance Minister Sebastian Vlădescu's (could be replaced by Deputy Gheorghe Ialomiţianu), Labour Minister Mihai Şeitan (suggested replacement: Deputy Nelu Ioan Botiş), Agriculture Minister Mihail Dumitru's (replaced by PDL deputy Valeriu Tabără) and Communication Minister Gabriel Sandu's (who was supposed to be replaced by PDL deputy Valerian Vreme).
Yet the big move here is the displacement of the famous BVB trio - Blaga-Videanu-Berceanu. By the time the story was ready for print, Berceanu and Videanu's departures from the Government were yet to be confirmed.
The meeting between Premier Emil Boc and President Traian Băsescu yesterday morning seems to have been decisive for sidelining Videanu and Berceanu, extremely powerful people inside the Democratic Party branches. However, the wish of PDL (Democratic-Liberal Party) members, who were for an extensive reshuffling mattered because whereas on Wednesday night, when the Premier and ministers met with the PDL MPs, Berceanu and Videanu's portfolios had not been brought up, while yesterday during another extensive meeting of the party things completely changed.
The only positions discussed on Wednesday night were those of the ministers who had weak or no ties with PDL. Among them Sebastian Vlădescu, former liberal finance minister during the early days of the Tăriceanu Cabinet who joined Boc Government as an independent, backed by President Traian Băsescu. Also sure to happen on Wednesday were the departures of Şeitan, Sandu and Dumitru. Yesterday, however, all the important portfolios in the Government were discussed. Sebastian Vlădescu said last night that his removal from the finance minister position was a political decision, as well as "an error" and added he regretted not having been able to see through the projects started while he was at the helm of the institution.