President Iohannis signs decrees appointing acting Regional Development, Transport ministers

President Klaus Iohannis signed on Monday the decrees appointing Eugen Teodorovici acting Minister for Regional Development, and Rovana Plumb acting Minister of Transport, the Presidential Administration informs.

Thus, the head of state signed the decree appointing incumbent Minister of Public Finance Eugen Teodorovici to the position of acting Deputy Prime Minister and acting Minister for Regional Development and Public Administration, and the decree appointing Rovana Plumb, who currently serves as Minister of European Funds, as acting Minister of Transport.

Premier Viorica Dancila on Monday sent President Iohannis the nominations for acting Minister of Transport, and Regional Development, respectively, Rovana Plumb and Eugen Teodorovici, in a bid to ensure continuity in the activity in these two departments, the government said in a release.

President Klaus Iohannis announced on Friday that he will reject the nominations for the two vacant portfolios, specifically Lia Olguta Vasilescu for Regional Development and Mircea Draghici for Transport.

"I have not yet devised a turn down response, because that's what it will be, I will turn down the Prime Minister's proposals for reasons of both legality and timeliness. My team are working on this analysis, but by the middle of next week I will also make public the reasons why I will refuse the Premier's proposals," the head of state said at the Cotroceni Palace.

On January 3 Iohannis signed the decrees acknowledging the vacation of the Regional Development and Transport portfolios. On November 22 Lucian Sova stepped down as Minister of Transport, and Paul Stanescu resigned office as Development Minister on November 26. AGERPRES (RO - author: Florentina Peia, editor: Andreea Rotaru; EN - author: Simona Klodnischi, editor: Simona Iacob)