Fourth Ponta Cabinet

The Fourth Ponta Cabinet was the government of Romania from 17 December 2014 to 17 November 2015.^[1] The Cabinet was supported by the Social Democratic Party (PSD), the National Union for the Progress of Romania (UNPR) and the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats (ALDE), the alliance forged by Călin Popescu-Tăriceanu's Liberal Reformist Party (PLR) and Daniel Constantin's Conservative Party (PC).^[2][3] Fourteen of the ministerial portfolios were held by PSD members, three by ALDE, two by UNPR and two by independent members (although Sorin Cîmpeanu was a member of PC).

Ponta IV
124th Cabinet of Romania
Date formed	17 December 2014
Date dissolved	17 November 2015
People and organisations
Head of state	Traian Băsescu (17–21 December 2014) Klaus Iohannis (from 21 December 2014)
Head of government	Victor Ponta
No. of ministers	22
Member parties	PSD, UNPR, ALDE
Status in legislature	Coalition
Opposition parties	PNL, UDMR, PMP, PNȚCD, PSRO, PRU
Opposition leaders	Alina Gorghiu, Vasile Blaga, Hunor Kelemen, Eugen Tomac, Aurelian Pavelescu, Mircea Geoană, Bogdan Diaconu
History
Outgoing election	2012
Legislature term	2012–2016
Predecessor	Ponta III
Successor	Cioloș

Overview and notable events

The Fourth Ponta Cabinet, unlike the previous cabinet, contained only politically appointed ministers. The post of deputy prime minister was abolished.^[4] In addition, eight ministerial portfolios were consolidated into four:^[5]

• the Ministry of Scientific Research was merged into the Ministry of Education;
• the Ministry of SMEs was merged into the Ministry of Economy;
• the Ministry of Water and Forests was merged into the Ministry of Environment; and
• the Ministry for the Budget was merged into the Ministry of Finance.

The reshuffling of the Third Ponta Cabinet came after ministers from the Hungarian-minority party, Democratic Alliance of Hungarians in Romania (UDMR), left the coalition and resigned from their respective ministries. Prime Minister Ponta decided to change the cabinet's image, which had been negatively affected by his loss in the November 2014 presidential elections and by a scandal involving voting procedures in the diaspora.

During the ceremony of taking the oath, outgoing president, Traian Băsescu, criticized two of the members of the new cabinet, Liviu Pop and Sorin Cîmpeanu, accusing them of contributing to the destruction of educational institutions, calling Ponta a liar and alluding to the plagiarism scandal that resulted in the prime minister surrendering his doctorate.^[6]

The Opposition, headed by the National Liberal Party (PNL), announced a possible motion of censure after 1 February 2015,^[7] with President Klaus Iohannis supporting the effort to bring down the Ponta government.^[8] Iohannis also expressed support for a PNL-led government.^[9] A no-confidence motion failed in September 2015, on a 207–276 vote.^[10]

On 4 November 2015, Victor Ponta and his Cabinet resigned amid mass protests against generalised corruption linked to the Colectiv nightclub fire,^[11] being succeeded by the Cioloș Cabinet, made up entirely by politically independent members.^[12]

Structure

Image	Function	Incumbent	Party		In office since	Until
	Prime Minister	Victor Ponta		PSD	7 May 2012	5 November 2015
	Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Internal Affairs	Gabriel Oprea		UNPR	17 December 2014	9 November 2015[13]
	Minister of Regional Development	Liviu Dragnea		PSD	17 December 2014	15 May 2015
		Sevil Shhaideh		PSD	20 May 2015	17 November 2015
	Minister of Agriculture	Daniel Constantin		ALDE	17 December 2014	17 November 2015
	Minister of Culture	Ioan Vulpescu		PSD	17 December 2014	17 November 2015
	Minister of Foreign Affairs	Bogdan Aurescu		Ind.	17 December 2014	17 November 2015
	Minister of Defence	Mircea Dușa		PSD	17 December 2014	17 November 2015
	Minister of Finance	Darius Vâlcov		PSD	17 December 2014	15 March 2015[14]
		Eugen Teodorovici		PSD	30 March 2015	17 November 2015
	Minister of the Economy	Mihai Tudose		PSD	17 December 2014	17 November 2015
	Minister of Justice	Robert Cazanciuc		PSD[15]	17 December 2014	17 November 2015
	Minister of Transport	Ioan Rus		PSD	17 December 2014	11 June 2015[16]
		Iulian Matache		PSD	17 July 2015[17]	17 November 2015
	Minister of Health	Nicolae Bănicioiu		PSD	17 December 2014	17 November 2015
	Minister of Communications	Sorin Grindeanu		PSD	17 December 2014	17 November 2015
	Minister of Labour	Rovana Plumb		PSD	17 December 2014	17 November 2015
	Minister of Environment, Waters and Forests	Grațiela Gavrilescu		ALDE	17 December 2014	17 November 2015
	Minister of Education	Sorin Cîmpeanu		Ind.	17 December 2014	17 November 2015
	Minister of European Funds	Eugen Teodorovici		PSD	17 December 2014	30 March 2015
		Marius Nica		PSD	30 March 2015	17 November 2015
	Minister of Youth and Sports	Gabriela Szabo		PSD	17 December 2014	17 November 2015
	Minister of Energy	Andrei Gerea		ALDE	17 December 2014	17 November 2015
	Minister for Relations with Parliament	Eugen Nicolicea		UNPR	17 December 2014	17 November 2015
	Minister for Social Dialogue	Liviu Pop		PSD	17 December 2014	17 November 2015
	Minister for Romanians Abroad	Angel Tîlvăr		PSD	17 December 2014	17 November 2015

Facts and statistics

The numbers below refer to the composition of the cabinet as of 20 May 2015:

• Number of ministers: 21
• Number of women: 4
• Number of men: 17
• Average age: 46.2 years
• Youngest minister: Marius Nica (34 years)^[18]
• Oldest minister: Mircea Dușa (60 years)

Party breakdown

Party breakdown of cabinet ministers:

• Social Democratic Party (PSD)
  14 / 21
• Alliance of Liberals and Democrats (ALDE)
  3 / 21
• National Union for the Progress of Romania (UNPR)
  2 / 21
• Independent
  2 / 21

References

1. "Guvernul Ponta IV a depus jurământul. Miniștrii cu care Traian Băsescu a refuzat să dea mâna și pe care i-a acuzat de fals". Știrile Pro TV (in Romanian). 17 December 2014.
2. Cristian Andrei (14 December 2014). "LISTA INTEGRALĂ A NOILOR MINIȘTRI. Dragnea nu mai e vicepremier. Modificări de ultimă oră în schema guvernamentală". Gândul (in Romanian).
3. "CExN al PSD a votat Guvernul Ponta 4. LISTA viitorului Cabinet în care Liviu Dragnea NU va mai fi vicepremier". Știrile Pro TV (in Romanian). 14 December 2014.
4. Sebastian Zachmann; Mădălina Mihalache; Alina Boghiceanu (14 December 2014). "Guvernul Ponta 4, în chinurile facerii: cine pleacă, cine vine. Miron Mitrea iese din politică: E o chestiune personală. Nu vreau spectacol". Adevărul (in Romanian).
5. "Guvernul Ponta 4 se decide duminică: Pe surse, 8 ministere vor fi comasate în 4 portofolii". B1.ro (in Romanian). 13 December 2014.
6. Mircea Marian; Andreea Udrea; Ioana Tomescu; Ana-Maria Adamoae (17 December 2014). "Guvernul Ponta IV a depus jurământul. Traian Băsescu, atac la Liviu Pop și ministrul Educației, Sorin Cîmpeanu: "Au contribuit prin distrugerea de instituții ale educației la un fals în interes public"". Evenimentul Zilei (in Romanian).
7. "Sulfina Barbu: PNL va depune o moțiune de cenzură după 1 februarie 2015". Gândul (in Romanian). 25 November 2014.
8. Simina, Anca (19 February 2015). "Iohannis, PRIMUL ATAC la Ponta din cauza noului Cod Fiscal. "Există o şansă rezonabilă ca printr-o moţiune de cenzură să se schimbe Guvernul"". Gândul (in Romanian).
9. "Iohannis vrea un Guvern PNL. Ponta: Executivul pe care il conduc e cea mai buna varianta pentru Romania". Ziare.com (in Romanian). 23 January 2015.
10. Udrea, Andreea; Bernaschi, Larisa (29 September 2015). "Un nou EŞEC pentru PNL. MOŢIUNEA de cenzură a fost RESPINSĂ. Liberalii mai aveau nevoie de 70 de voturi". Evenimentul Zilei (in Romanian).
11. "VICTOR PONTA A DEMISIONAT: "Eu niciodată nu mă bat cu oamenii". SURSE: Opțiunile lui Iohannis pentru un nou premier: Cioloș sau Maior. PNL cere anticipate, PSD refuză" [VICTOR PONTA HAS RESIGNED: "I'm never fighting with the people". SOURCES: Iohannis' options for a new prime-minister: Cioloș or Maior. PNL requests early elections, PSD rejects] (in Romanian). EVZ.ro. 4 November 2015. Retrieved 12 August 2018.
12. Cristi Șelaru (17 November 2015). "Klaus Iohannis, mesaj de ULTIMĂ ORĂ pentru noii miniștri". stiripesurse.ro.
13. "Gabriel Oprea şi-a delegat atribuţiile către Ilie Botoş". Antena3.ro (in Romanian). Antena3. 6 November 2015. Retrieved 8 November 2015.
14. "Victor Ponta anunță că Darius Vâlcov a demisionat din funcția de ministru al Finanțelor". Realitatea.net (in Romanian). 15 March 2015.
15. "Declaratii de presa sustinute de Liviu Dragnea, presedintele interimar al PSD, dupa Conferinta Judeteana a PSD Ilfov". psd.ro (in Romanian). 30 June 2015.
16. "Ioan Rus şi-a dat DEMISIA, după ce i-a jignit pe românii din străinătate: Copiii se fac golani acasă şi nevasta curvă". Retrieved 11 June 2015.
17. "Noul ministru al Transporturilor, Iulian Matache, a depus jurământul". Jurnalul Naţional (in Romanian). 17 July 2015. Archived from the original on 29 September 2015. Retrieved 25 August 2015.
18. Mihai, Cătălina (27 March 2015). "BIOGRAFIE: Marius Nica, de la ofiţer MApN şi consilier la PE, ministru al Fondurilor Europene la 35 de ani". Mediafax (in Romanian).