PM Orban: We want an administration that is increasingly less under political influence

Prime Minister Ludovic Orban said today that, just like President Klaus Iohannis, he wants an administration that is under as little as possible political influence. "I share the President's clear-cut stance on administration. We want an administration where the political factor has increasingly less influence. My point of view is that whoever wants to pursue a career in public office shouldn't have anything to do with politics. All positions must be filled through competition. (...) We have been unable to organize any more contests because at the switch from the state of emergency to the state of alert, Parliament blocked by Law 55 all competitions for both public execution positions and public management positions. Our firm commitment is for an administration based on the principle of competence, meritocracy, on the selection of servants by transparent competition," Orban said during a visit to Dambovita County. The Premier also spoke in favor of the involvement of the relevant professional associations in the selection of candidates, but also for removing the National Civil Servants Agency from under the government's authority. "Another goal of ours is to depoliticize the National Civil Service Agency and even change its current subordination, because the Agency now reports to the government and an organization form should be found that no longer requires subordination to the government, but allows it to be autonomous so as to implement all the legislation in the field of civil service," the Prime Minister specified. President Klaus Iohannis said earlier in the day that he had spoken with Premier Ludovic Orban following the case reported by the media, of a politically appointed counselor in Mures County, and that he had asked Orban to speed up the public administration audit process. "I categorically reject any attempt to appoint to public office people who do not meet the law requirements and lack the experience in the field they are appointed to. It is unacceptable, particularly in the complicated period we are now going through, caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, to have mediocre, inexperienced people, imposters or others who do not have the necessary skills and qualifications promoted to important positions in the central or local structures of the administration," said the President in a statement on appointments to public office. Klaus Iohannis maintains that "considering the political reward as the sole principle that keeps the state going pertains to an antiquated mentality and also represents an affront to the citizens and a brake on the development of any democratic society." AGERPRES (RO - author: George Onea, editor: Antonia Nita; EN - author: Simona Klodnischi, editor: Simona Iacob)