Foxcrawl

Romanian Prime Minister Emil Boc and his government resigned on Monday. Country’s president Traian Basescu moved fast to appoint Justice Minister Catalin Predoiu as a new interim prime minister after consultations with all political parties at Cotroceni Palace in Bucharest.
Sources: Antena3.ro, ziare.com and realitatea.net.

However by the end of the day Basescu proposed the current director of the Foreign Intelligence Service (SIE) Mihai Răzvan Ungureanu to be appointed as permanent prime minister.

The resignation of Boc government came after the country was overwhelmed in week-long turmoils over the budget cuts, austerity measures and economic situation.

Romania's PM Emil Boc resigns and ends government after weeks of social unrest over austerity measures

“We decided to hand over the mandate,” said Emil Boc at the end of a short government session, adding that the decision was taken “to alleviate the political situation in the country, but also to not lose what the Romanian people won with much endurance, the economic stability”.

Emil Boc stressed that “after two years of economic downturn, Romania ended the year of 2011 with an economic growth of 2.5%, “one of the highest in the EU” with EC and IMF forecasts announcing a slight growth also in 2012″. “Inflation is at the lowest level, the unemployment rate is below the European average, the currency is stable, the budget deficit under control”, has reviewed the resigned premier.

SIE head Mihai Razvan Ungureanu was appointed by president Traian Basescu as the new PM of Romania. Photo: Antena3/Intact/EPA

Emil Boc also wanted to clarify that right now there is no risk of failure in paying wages and pensions.

Returning to the decision announced on Monday, Emil Boc said: “I quit because I am not the kind of individual to hang on to power” and added that the function matters less for him, especially since there are only a few months left until the general elections.

“But for the country is important to have stability (…) I make a call to the maturity of the political class to pass quickly a new government through Parliament,” said Emil Boc.

He thanked all ministers and President Traian Basescu for collaboration, and leaders of coalition parties that supported the government over hard times of crisis in recent years.

“I speak honestly, looking in the eyes of the Romanians: I thank them because they were the ones who sacrificed themselves and saved Romania; the politicians have only made a duty,” added Emil Boc, saying again that he is aware that by taking harsh austerity measures, the ousted government sparked also inconvenients among people.

“But during crisis situations we have to take decisions with the head, not with heart”, he continued, reiterating an old idea that “the drug had a bad taste, but it was worth, because Romania has recovered”.

The PDL leader hopes that the political leaders will regard his resignation gesture as an opportunity to strengthen the current political situation.

“Today, Romania is stable and economically credible. We proposed the termination of the mandate of the Government. So, God help us,” concluded the Premier at the end of his speech.

Then Emil Boc shook hands with all the ministers present at the meeting and thanked media for the support in recent years before leaving in the applause of the audience.

Also, at the insistence of journalists, Emil Boc said that it will follow all procedural steps, i.e. it will submit his resignation to the president and parliament, as Traian Basescu will make a new nomination for the leader of the executive.