President Klaus Iohannis said on Wednesday that he had asked Premier Viorica Dancila to inform him about the nomination for the position of full-term European Commissioner, but that no such proposal has come so far.
"It is good to clarify a bit these aspects about the Commissioner - who makes the appointment and how it works. Mrs. Prime Minister informed me that she wants to make a nomination for acting Commissioner, which has also happened. Yet after the candidate proposed for the Commission's presidency is validated, Romania will have to nominate someone for full-term European Commissioner. And I want to emphasize this very clearly: the nomination and the responsibility for obtaining an adequate portfolio are fully under the government's competence. This is how things work in Romania - the government makes the nomination and negotiates the position of Commissioner. I have the legitimate expectation to be informed in due time of who is being envisaged for this nomination," the head of the state said at the Cotroceni Palace.
President Iohannis said that he has already sent Premier Dancila a request in this respect, but that "no proposal has come so far for the position of Commissioner for the next term," although the Prime Minister had agreed to inform him about it.
The President also explained that up until now, no negotiations have taken place in Brussels for the positions of European Commissioners, but only for the top EU jobs.
Asked what portfolio could Romania receive, given Premier Viorica Dancila's previous statement that she and Iohannis had discussed the subject, the President said: "Those inquiring abut these things have obviously not understood anything about what happened there. No portfolios have been negotiated, the negotiations were for a configuration of the top positions - specifically the leadership of the European Commission, and of the European Council, these were the subjects of negotiation."
"This time, the situation in the European Parliament and in the European Council is a bit more complicated than in previous terms, because whereas until now two political groups could reach an agreement and build a majority, this is no longer possible now. Three or four political groups are needed to ensure a stable majority. This, plus the fact that there are 28 members in the Council, each of whom wants to say their point of view, has led to extremely complicated talks and negotiations, and I have to admit that they have ended very well, in consensus. The decisions there were made by consensus, yet national interests for Commissioner positions have not been negotiated. I should however remark that several of us, the newer member states, claimed that the absence of an Eastern European in the leadership of the European institutions be fairly compensated by positions of European Commission Vice-President at the time when the structure of the Commission is discussed. But the portfolios have not been negotiated this time," said President Iohannis.
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