Hearings of Citu Government members to start in Parliament

The ministers picked to be part of the Citu Government will be heard for three days, starting on Tuesday, by the joint parliamentary committees.

According to the schedule approved by Parliament's leadership, the picks to be heard on Monday by the standing committees of the Deputies' Chamber and the Senate are the following: Nicolae Ciuca - proposed minister for National Defence (10:00hrs); Lucian Heius - proposed minister for Public Finance (11:00hrs); Costel Alexe - proposed minister for Environment, Waters and Forests (12:00hrs); Catalin Predoiu - proposed minister for Justice (13:00hrs); Adrian Oros - proposed minister for Agriculture and Rural Development (14:00hrs); Ion Stefan - proposed minister for Public Works, Development and Administration (15:00hrs).

On Wednesday, scheduled to be heard by the parliamentary committees are: Bogdan Gheorghiu - proposed minister for Culture (10:00hrs); Lucian Bode - proposed minister for Transport, Infrastructure and Communications (11:00hrs); Victor Costache - proposed minister for Health (12:00hrs); Ionut Stroe - proposed minister for Youth and Sport (13:00hrs); Monica Anisie - proposed minister for Education and Research (14:00hrs); Violeta Alexandru - proposed minister for Labour and Social Protection (15:00hrs).

On Thursday, the last day of the hearings, the committees will hear: Bogdan Aurescu - proposed minister for Foreign Affairs (10:00hrs); Marcel Bolos - proposed minister for European Funds (11:00hrs); Virgil Popescu - proposed minister for Economy, Energy and Business Environment (12:00hrs); Marcel Vela - proposed minister for Interior (13:00hrs).

The plenary meeting of the two Chambers is set to convene to vote for the new Cabinet at a date to be established in the beginning of next week. Parliamentary sources have said that 9 March might be the date for the joint plenary meeting.

Last Friday, Prime Minister-designate Florin Citu submitted to Parliament the list of ministers of his Cabinet and the governing programme. The only change in the composition of the Citu Government against the previous one, that led by Ludovic Orban, is the proposal of Lucian Heius for the Finance Ministry.

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According to the regulations of the joint sessions of Parliament, each candidate for the position of minister is to be heard at a joint meeting by the standing committees of the two chambers operating in the field of the future minister. After the hearings, the committees will draw up a joint, reasoned advisory opinion.

The governing programme and the Government list of ministers are to be debated by the Deputies' Chamber and the Senate in a joint meeting.

Parliament grants the Government confidence, with the vote of the majority of deputies and senators. The voting will be secret, with balls.