Three ministers of the Nastase Cabinet - Integration minister Hildegard Puwak, Health minister Mircea Beuran and Serban Mihailescu, minister for coordinating the Government's Secretariat General, who have been involved in well-publicised scandals in the past few months, have handed in their resignations, which were approved by the PSD (Social Democrat Party) Permanent Delegation, chaired by Adrian Nastase. The Integration portfolio will be temporarily managed by Vasile Puscas, the current chief negotiator with the EU, whereas the Health Ministry went to Ionel Blanculescu (the current Control minister, who will also keep his current position). The Government's Secretariat General will be run by Eugen Bejenariu (head of the Autonomous Regie of the State Patrimony and Protocol, and a member of the Romanian Commercial Bank's Board). Bejenariu replaced Sorin Tesu (former chief of Cabinet of the PM) in BCR's Board.
Yesterday's resignations are a first time for the Nastase Government, which has changed ministers before, but always offered them other government or party positions in exchange. This time, having come under fire from the media, the parties and the civil organisations, the three ministers are likely to remain in the shadows, until their situation is cleared up so that they can be "useful" again afterwards, as Nastase says. The Premier added the three chose this particular moment to step down because, after the successful Constitution referendum, the Government has entered a new stage (concluding accession negotiations in 2004). Thus, the Permanent Delegation approved their resignations because they were "opportune."
This "opportunity" may be the seminar of OLAF (EU's Anti-Fraud body) communicators, taking place these days in Bucharest. Two of the resigning ministers - Mihailescu and Puwak - have been accused of being involved in fraud with European funds and OLAF is now looking into these allegations. Rather an unpleasant situation for the Government. In fact, President Ion Iliescu yesterday told the OLAF seminar (somehow anticipating the ruling party's decision) that frauds involving public money must be harshly punished, since they always involve the political officials and the public workers that are supposed to defend the public interest.
The Cabinet changes were scheduled to be discussed last night by the Premier and President Iliescu. The President yesterday declined to comment on the changes, saying only he had been on the phone with the Premier, discussing the decision to be made by the Permanent Delegation. Two of the three ministers are close to the President (Beuran - used to be his personal physician, and Puwak), whereas Mihailescu is generally perceived as being close to the Premier.
Pentru alte știri, analize, articole și informații din business în timp real urmărește Ziarul Financiar pe WhatsApp Channels
