Romania’s finance minister Daniel Chitoiu resigned on Thursday, Feb 6, ahead of an expected broader reshuffling of the cabinet ministers appointed by junior ruling party PNL, Adevarul daily announced.

The reshuffling is reportedly a result of the PNL ministries gradually shifting their agendas towards the ruling leftist PSD party instead of following the policies of their own centre-right PNL party.

There have been rumours about certain tensions within the junior ruling party PNL and its partnership with PSD has been questioned. As a consequence, the PNL nomination of president Crin Antonescu in the pending presidential elections on a joint ticket with PSD now turns increasingly uncertain. The senior ruling partner PSD might appoint an own candidate in case the split between the two partners widens, meaning that PNL’s Antonescu should have to seek support from other centre-right parties [currently in opposition].

Previously, former interior minister Radu Stroe [PNL] resigned on January 23. This was however because of a plane crush followed by the death of two people, partly caused by the slow intervention of bodies supervised by interior ministry. Finance minister Chitoiu resigned on Feb 6 “on personal grounds” and was given by PNL the position of secretary general [of the party].

Labour minister Mariana Campeanu is rumoured to leave her position as part of the reshuffling.

Health minister Eugen Nicolaescu is also expected to leave his position – in case he is appointed as new finance minister instead of Chitoiu.

Notably, Sorin Frunzaverde – a former top member of the opposition party PDL was surprisingly went over to PNL last year, is among the candidates considered for the position of an interior ministry [still vacant]. This would generate and support further rumours related to the political collaboration between PNL and the opposition PDL party.