Romania's prime minister steps down as part of coalition deal

By Ahmet Gencturk

ATHENS (AA) - Romanian Prime Minister Nicolae Ciuca announced Monday that he is stepping down as part of a deal by the ruling coalition for a rotating premiership, local media reported.

Ciuca, who is also the leader of the National Liberal Party (PNL), is expected to be replaced by Social Democratic Party (PSD) leader Marcel Ciolacu, said Romanian public broadcaster TVR.

Ciuca on Tuesday will take over as speaker of the Romanian Senate, it said.

According to the broadcaster, Justice Minister Catalin Predoiu will act as caretaker premier until the new government is sworn in, likely on Thursday.

Negotiations behind closed doors on the division of the ministries between the PNL and PSD continue.

Meanwhile, it is very likely that the coalition government’s junior partner the Democratic Alliance of Hungarians in Romania (RMDSZ) will not be part of the new government.