War of the two palaces

The conclusions of the private meeting between Iliescu and Nastase on Tuesday have pushed the tiresome early elections issue aside for the time being, without having settled it once and for all. A new issue was brought up again, though – the Government reshuffle. Both the President and the Prime Minister agree to restructure the governmental team, but do not see eye to eye on how to actually do it. Resignation is the key word to Nastase. To Iliescu, it is reshuffling.

The Premier on Tuesday night announced in an unofficial meeting with the journalists that the current Government would hand in its resignation in February, with PSD (Social Democrat Party) set to present Parliament with a new governmental structure, smaller than the current one, as well as a new ruling programme. PSD is to nominate Adrian Nastase for PM again. The purpose of this political move is to make the Government’s activity “more dynamic” and have it focus on the economic and European integration dimension, according to the Premier. One of the possible changes is the establishment of an Economy Ministry.
President Ion Iliescu yesterday replied to the Premier’s statements by specifying the current Government would not resign, with a governmental reshuffle to be conducted instead, as this was an ordinary constitutional procedure.
“This is not a resignation. This is a government reshuffle. It is a constitutional matter, solved without early elections or any other procedures. It is just the ordinary government reshuffling procedure. Three Governments changed throughout 1996-2000. Therefore, reshuffling can be done in a million ways,” President Iliescu said. It remains to be seen who will convince whom this time again.
There’s a certain stake to the differences on how to change the team at the Victoria Palace. If the Nastase Government resigns and goes before Parliament with a new team, the MPs of the ruling party can theoretically vote against their own Government. Which would be but the first step towards early elections.
Parliamentary sources said the PSD MPs were experiencing a certain “anxiety” about the latest developments, especially since the party leaders did not notify them of their decisions and they had to find out the latest news from the TV.
Senate Chairman Nicolae Vacaroiu yesterday said the PSD leaders would receive “more accurate information” about the meeting between Iliescu and Nastase “probably Monday, at 10 a.m.” “I am convinced that the Permanent Delegation will make a decision based on what President Iliescu and Prime Minister Nastase agreed upon during their meeting,” Vacaroiu said. Inquired about what decision he was talking about, he explained it would actually be a report on what had been discussed in Cotroceni.
The Senate Chairman added that both early elections and the “extensive reshuffling” of the Government were viable options.