Ponta II Cabinet was the

Council of Ministers A council is a group of people who come together to consult, deliberate, or make decisions. A council may function as a legislature, especially at a town, city or county/shire level, but most legislative bodies at the state/provincial or natio ...

which governed Romania from 21 December 2012 to 5 March 2014. A crisis inside the ruling coalition, the Social Liberal Union (USL), resulted in the split of the governing alliance and collapse of the government.

History

On 17 December 2012, after

USL The USL Championship (USLC) is a professional men's soccer league in the United States that began its inaugural season in 2011. The USL is sanctioned by the United States Soccer Federation (U.S. Soccer) as a Division II league since 2017, p ...

victory in the legislative elections of 9 December, President Traian Băsescu nominated Victor Ponta to form a new government, this being the only person proposed by the parliamentary parties. Ponta II Cabinet received the vote of confidence of the Parliament on 21 December, with 402 votes "for" and 120 "against". Ponta II Cabinet was composed of three deputy prime ministers, 15 ministers and nine minister-delegates. The three deputy prime ministers were:

Liviu Dragnea Liviu Nicolae Dragnea (; born 28 October 1962) is a Romanian engineer and former politician. Starting his career in the Democratic Party (PD), he joined the Social Democratic Party (PSD), eventually becoming its leader. After holding several po ...

(PSD) – Minister of Administration and Regional Development, Daniel Chițoiu (PNL) – Minister of Finance and

Gabriel Oprea Gabriel Oprea (; born 1 January 1961) is a Romanian politician and a general in the army reserves. The former president of the National Union for the Progress of Romania (UNPR) and a former member of the Social Democratic Party (PSD) who is now a ...

(UNPR) – deputy prime minister without portfolio in the field of defense and national security. Ponta II Cabinet was composed of 60 state secretaries (13 more than in

Ponta I Cabinet After a second vote of no confidence passed in the Parliament of Romania on 27 April 2012, this time aimed against the Ungureanu Cabinet, Victor Ponta was asked by President Traian Băsescu to form a new Government. His cabinet, unveiled on 1 Ma ...

) and 120 heads of agencies.

Controversies

Minister Relu Fenechiu left on 12 July 2013 the Ministry of Transport, after he was handed a five-year prison sentence for

corruption Corruption is a form of dishonesty or a criminal offense which is undertaken by a person or an organization which is entrusted in a position of authority, in order to acquire illicit benefits or abuse power for one's personal gain. Corruption m ...

. The interim was taken by Prime Minister Victor Ponta. But, at its expiration, PNL was somehow obliged to submit a proposal to the Prime Minister for the position of Minister of Transport. There was conveyed the name of Nini Săpunaru, but after Ponta publicly opposed the proposal, PNL has submitted another name candidate to the ministry's seat –

Ramona Mănescu Ramona Nicole Mănescu (born 6 December 1972, Constanţa) is a Romanian politician and lawyer. From 24 July 2019 to 4 November 2019, she served as minister of Foreign Affairs in the Romanian Government. She was a Member of the European Parliam ...

. The Prime Minister accepted the proposal, and so, Ramona Mănescu took the oath on 26 August. Another minister that submitted the resignation is

Varujan Vosganian Varujan Vosganian (; hy, Վարուժան Ոսկանեան, born on 25 July 1958) is a Romanian politician, economist, essayist and poet of Armenian origin. Vosganian was Romania's Minister of Economy and Commerce (2006–2008) in the Tăriceanu ...

, responsible for Economy. This comes after the Directorate for Investigating Organized Crime and Terrorism asked the criminal prosecution against Vosganian, for gaff and undermining the national economy. Sources inside USL said that Vosganian resigned upon the request of Prime Minister Victor Ponta. On 12 December 2013, Minister of Culture

Daniel Barbu Daniel-Constantin Barbu (born 21 May 1957) is a Romanian Political science, political scientist, publisher, essayist, journalist, and professor at the University of Bucharest's Faculty of Political Science. The head of the Research Institute at ...

resigned after displaced statements on "too big" budget for prevention and control of HIV/AIDS. His declarations sparked public outrage, being sanctioned by the National Council for Combating Discrimination. A few days before, President of the Senate

Crin Antonescu George Crin Laurențiu Antonescu (; born 21 September 1959) is a Romanian politician, who was President of the National Liberal Party (PNL) from 2009 to 2014. He also served as the country Acting President after the impeachment of Traian Băsesc ...

said that Barbu should resign.

2014 governmental crisis

A major crisis is shaking the current government of Romania. It was triggered a few days after PNL, constituent party of government, announced the reshuffling of four ministers. Tensions between leaders of the two major parties of government, Victor Ponta (PSD) and

(PNL), grew until 25 February, when PNL decided in an overwhelming majority to leave the ruling coalition. A day later, all PNL ministers resigned. This situation puts the current Prime Minister Victor Ponta in difficulty, inasmuch as he is forced to form a new government.

Structure

References

{{Romanian Governments Ponta II 2012 establishments in Romania Cabinets established in 2012 Cabinets disestablished in 2014 2014 disestablishments in Romania