Wednesday, December 10, 2008
BUCHAREST, Romania —
A former World Bank economist was chosen Wednesday to become Romania's next prime minister _ a job he held before as the country emerged from decades of communism.Theodor Stolojan, 65, pledged to act swiftly to contain the effects of the global financial meltdown on Romania.
"My mission in the next 10 days is to form ... a government and a program under the new conditions that exist in Romania as a result of the global economic crisis," Stolojan said after President Traian Basescu nominated him to the post.
Stolojan _ currently a lawmaker in the European Parliament _ said he would form a Cabinet including his party, the Democratic Liberals, as well as the left-leaning Social Democrats and the party that represents Romania's 1.4 million ethnic Hungarians.
Together the three parties control almost 80 percent of parliament.
Stolojan said his government would have two "urgent missions" _ to draft a 2009 budget and relaunch reforms in education, health and public administration.
Democratic Liberal leader Emil Boc said the government would retain a flat tax and give welfare benefits to those on low incomes and retirees. "The left and right together can resolve Romanians' problems," he said.
Parliament is expected to confirm Stolojan and his Cabinet on Dec. 22.
Stolojan was Romania's finance minister in 1990-91 and its prime minister in 1991-92. Because he was a politically moderate technocrat and financial expert, his rise helped quell charges that the government elected after the 1989 overthrow of dictator Nicolae Ceausescu was dominated by former Communists.
As finance minister Stolojan headed Romania's privatization agency, and was criticized for forcing companies and individuals to convert their hard currency into Romanian lei at a fixed rate.
He joined the World Bank in Washington in 1992 and served as an economist and senior economist until 1998.
Stolojan ran for Romania's presidency in 2000 and 2004, when he had to drop out of the race for health reasons.
His new government replaces the center-right Liberal-led coalition that lost Nov. 30 elections.
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