Romanian PM resigns after teachers' protests end

Romanian Prime Minister Nicolae Ciucă resigned on Monday after several weeks of teacher protests ended by an agreement with other coalition parties, and a new government is to be approved by the end of the week.

Digi24 reported this.

The head of the Romanian National Liberal Party, Ciucă, who headed the Romanian government in 2021 as a result of an agreement between the three parties, was to resign on May 25 and hand over the post of prime minister to Social Democrat leader Marcel Cioreac.

But instead, the country was gripped by massive teacher strikes demanding higher salaries, and the coalition agreed to keep the government headed by Ciucă until the situation was resolved. On Monday, following the government's decision to raise salaries, teachers ended the strike.

"Thus, given that this conflict is over, today is the moment when I end my work as Prime Minister of Romania," Nicolae Ciucă said in an address to the citizens on Monday afternoon.

Justice Minister Cătălin Predoiu was appointed interim prime minister of Romania by the president. Leaders of political parties and parliamentary factions will be invited to consultations on Tuesday to determine a candidate for the post of prime minister.

The new government headed by Ciolacu is expected to be sworn in by the Romanian parliament by the end of the week.

At the same time, according to Digi24, negotiations between the coalition parties - Liberals, Social Democrats, and the Democratic Party of Hungarians of Romania - are ongoing, and the parties have not yet reached a final agreement on the distribution of mandates.

Author - Olena Madiak, 13/06/2023