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AGERPRES special correspondent Florentina Peia reports: President Klaus Iohannis said in Brussels on Thursday that a government that has been lawfully dismissed in Parliament cannot make a nomination for European Commissioner, as it will have no role in the future European Commission.
"There is on our side, unfortunately, a blocking element which is called the Dancila Government. (...) I will strongly oppose this, because a government that has been lawfully dismissed in the Romanian Parliament cannot make a proposal on behalf of Romania for the next mandate of the Commission, in which, surely, this government will have no role," said the head of the state before the meeting of the European Council in Brussels.
He mentioned that he will not discuss with the officials in Brussels about possible proposals for the position of Commissioner.
"But I will very clearly tell the European Commission's President-elect that I cannot accept for a dismissed government to make a proposal that is also accepted; as for the portfolio, I have discussed before with Mrs. von der Leyen, who assured me that the portfolio that was allocated for Romania remains valid and I have no reason to believe that unilateral changes are occurring now," the president added.
The Romanian head of state had a brief meeting with the new President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, upon arriving at the Council.
"We will have at least one meeting on the sidelines of the Council today, tomorrow. I will discuss with Mrs von der Leyen," Iohannis said.
He stressed that there is not even a discussion on a switch of portfolios in the European Commission.
Iohannis showed that the ideal option would be for the President-elect of the European Commission to wait for the government in Bucharest to be installed.
"I hope that all the parties involved, in this case the Romanian Parliament, understand that we cannot play with the rules of democracy. How would that be, having a prime minister-designate yet not discuss the new government in Parliament? It's a hard to imagine scenario, which I hope does not become a reality," said Iohannis.
As for the possibility of the Social Democratic Party (PSD) blocking a vote on the new government until after the first round of the presidential elections, the head of state voiced his hope that this is only "a scenario".
He mentioned that he cannot physically prevent the Dancila Government from writing a letter to Brussels, but that he can intervene so that a proposal for Commissioner coming from an Executive that has lost both "political and constitutional legitimacy" is not accepted.
The head of the state indicated that the nomination for European Commissioner made by the Dancila Government has been rejected from the very beginning.
"I hope that we do not get in the totally undesirable situation where we cannot advance with the formation of the Commission on Romania's account. I hope that we have sufficient lucidity in Parliament so as to move at a sufficiently swift pace with these procedures for the formation of a new government," concluded Iohannis.
