President Traian Basescu told party leaders during yesterday'stalks in Cotroceni that he did not want a technocratic governmentbut instead would agree to a national unity government run by anindependent Premier.
He did not explicitly dismiss the proposal of the oppositionparties, PNL (National Liberal Party), PSD (Social-DemocraticParty), UDMR (Democratic Alliance of Hungarians in Romania) and ofthe national minorities, which are backing Sibiu's mayor KlausJohannis for Prime Minister for a term of two months until afterthe autumn presidential elections.
Before the talks with the parties, the head of state told theambassadors of the EU countries whom he had called to Cotroceni atnoon, that he would rather appoint a Prime Minister who is close tothe International Monetary Fund.
Democrat-liberal circles suggested a few names yesterday, such asLucian Croitoru, former Romanian representative to the IMF andcurrent advisor of NBR Governor Mugur Isarescu, and MihaiTanasescu, former PSD Finance Minister and current representativeof Romania to the Washington-based institution, as potentialPremiers.
"I understand that you are for an independent Prime Minister. Maybewe can discuss it, on condition that the rest of the Government bepolitical. I repeat: on condition that the rest of the Governmentbe political," Basescu said. "Let's be honest about it: are you soashamed of political parties that you would push the responsibilityof the governance to some technocrats we have to manipulate frombehind? I believe we should overcome the complex that we might beashamed of ourselves. This is who we are," Basescu added.
Under the circumstances, IMF is now in the position of grantingRomania new temporary waivers from the commitments that have to befulfilled until the end of the year and which cannot be fulfilledin the absence of a fully-fledged government.
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