The social democrats (PSD) want to continue their collaboration with the Democratic Alliance of Hungarians in Romania (UDMR) within the future Government, but the Hungarian minority party is not cooperating, according to Euractiv.
UDMR has refused to take over the Energy Ministry and the European Funds Ministry and wants to retain the Development Ministry, which leader Kelemen Hunor said was not on the negotiation table with Prime Minister Nicolae Ciuca and future prime minister Marcel Ciolacu.
However, “my colleagues are in total agreement to continue collaborating with UDMR. It is not necessarily an approach on the ministries, but rather on selecting the most suitable people, and they have the right people to lead the Ministry of Energy and the Ministry of European Funds,” Ciolacu explained.
Currently, UDMR holds three ministries – Sport, Development and Environment. UDMR has agreed that the Sports Ministry will be merged with the Family Ministry.
Hunor emphasised that the PNL and PSD leaders were aware since Wednesday that the UDMR is not prepared to give up the Ministry of Development and that this stance has been reiterated during negotiations.
Hunor also said that, at the moment, the UDMR is part of the government and intends to remain so until Ciolacu is appointed as prime minister by President Klaus Iohannis. Only after this decision Ciolacu can choose the future cabinet ministers.
The prime minister switch should have occurred on 25 May but was postponed by the biggest teachers’ strike in the last 18 years.