Gabriel Les

Prime Minister Viorica Dancila on Friday said that President Klaus Iohannis has no quality to lengthen mandate of the Chief of Staff's head, specifying that the decree announced by the president of Romania does not observe the legal conditions and triggers the premises of a constitutional judicial conflict.

President Klaus Iohannis on Friday stated after the meeting of the Supreme Council for National Defence (CSAT) that he signed a decree by which he prolonged the mandate of General Nicolae Ciuca as Chief of Defence Staff, specifying at the same time that the proposal made by the Minister of Defence, Gabriel Les, was rejected.

President Klaus Iohannis convened the meeting of the Supreme Council for National Defence (CSAT) on Friday, 12.00 pm, at the Cotroceni Presidential Palace.

At the meeting they will analyze the requests of the Minister of National Defence, Gabriel Les, regarding the filling in of certain offices at the Army level of command.

Prime minister Viorica Dancila on Thursday said at an informal meeting with the media that she intends to talk to president Klaus Iohannis about the replacement of the transport and regional development ministers, even on Friday, on the sidelines of the CSAT (Superior Council for Country's Defence, ed. n.) meeting.

Minister of National Defence Gabriel Les said on Wednesday evening that President Klaus Iohannis' actions over the past few weeks exceeded his role as mediator.

Minister of National Defence Gabriel Les on Tuesday had a meeting in Brussels with the High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Federica Mogherini, in which context he voiced Romania's support in strengthening the EU profile in the field of security and defence, on the coordinates of action complementarity and synergy with NATO.

Romania's Defence Minister Gabriel Les testified on Tuesday before the Senate Defence Committee in relation with the issue between Ukraine and Russia, saying that he believes "diplomacy and political dialogue have not yet had their last word" in this conflict and emphasising that Romania is monitoring the situation very closely.

Tens of thousands of people attended on Saturday, on the National Day of Romania, the largest military parade ever organised in the "City of the Greater Union", a ceremony that was attended by President Klaus Iohannis, who, both prior and after this ceremony, gathered a mass of people," the head of state being welcomed and applauded by those who participated in this event.

By taking over the Presidency of the Council of the European Union, Romania ensures the continuity of the European projects in security and defence, Austrian Minister of Defence Mario Kunasek, on an official visit in Bucharest, said on Monday.

Mario Kunasek met with the Romanian Minister of Defence, Gabriel Les, at the seat of the National Defence Ministry.

The new ministers of Education, Defence, Labor and Social Justice, Economy, Culture and National Identity, Communications and Information Society, as well as that of Youth and Sports have been sworn in, on Tuesday, at the Cotroceni Presidential Palace in front of President Klaus Iohannis.