PSD's Dragnea says ministers' jobs undergoing assessment

National leader of the Social Democratic Party (PSD) Liviu Dragnea said on Sunday evening that the jobs of the ministers are being assessed, and a date for the convention of the party's National Executive Committee (CExN) will be set after the prime minister returns from Strasbourg.

"We have agreed with Mrs Prime Minister to talk this week after she returns from Strasbourg. Normally, she is focused on what's going to happen there, and after she comes back, we'll talk and we'll basically decide when to convene the National Executive Committee, which will assess the job of each minister, and our colleagues will voice their opinions," Dragnea told Romania TV private broadcaster. 

Asked if there is a black list already, the PSD leader replied: "No, as far as I know. Because it would mean targeting and then finding arguments." 

Dragnea said a ministerial evaluation is being carried out and that the CExN members will also present their takes on the ministers' jobs. 

"The assessment is being drawn up, the prime minister has decided so; I do not know who has asked for the assessment, but our colleagues on the PSD National Executive Committee also have their own assessment. Besides other things, a mandatory quality for a minister is communication, because many said that is a joke, and the prime minister always tells them they have to communicate, but not because that would be some unsubstantiated wish. Romanians need to be informed, it is mandatory to inform the Romanians because you govern for them (...) If you are not even able to communicate, you have a problem. Any minister in any government in the world who wants to be performing needs to communicate, clearly and whenever needed," said Dragnea. 

He pointed out that some ministers had spoken "a little pushed from behind." 

He also said that there are some ministries where 12 signatures are needed before the minister's decision to pass ordinances or decisions, but in his opinion a government cannot function like that.