The foreign minister of Romania draws attention to a risk after the deputy prime minister Dragoș Anastasiu leaves

On Monday in the Hotnews studio for an interview, Foreign Minister Oana Țoiu considered the decision of Anastasiu's resignation, but also talked about what she called “a risk”.

The Minister of Foreign Affairs has stated that the pressure of citizens to demand higher and higher standards for those in the Government is very justified.

However, Oana Țoiu says that the pressure must be directed balanced and “we must make sure that people want to contribute to the public space.” Because the danger, the USR politician warned, is that “people in the private environment be discouraged from entering the public space.”

“A risk that exists now and is not a small one is to discourage people in the private environment to enter public space. I do not say this as a justification for the period so far, but strictly from now on,” said Oana Țoiu.

“Whether we are talking about those counselors who have decided to do this pro bono, or we talk about people who take a step in a dignitary or even employees in public institutions, we must find together with civil society and with the media.”

“So that the standards continue to be high, to be legitimate for journalists and citizens to ask questions, to answer all these questions, but also to feel comfortable in the decision to enter into a public office,” said the dignitar.

What example did Țoiu give

Strictly about the decision, the Foreign Minister said: “Dragoș Anastasiu's decision to resign was correct and necessary.”

Asked to define the “pressure” about which he talks about those who can be demobilized to enter the public service, Oana Țoiu explained that she does not refer strictly to the resignation of Dragoș Anastasiu, but, for example, to the pressure on the Pro Bono counselors who helps Prime Minister Bolojan in reforming the state companies.

“Often, people decide to do this pro bono, even if they can be incomprehensible to who look from the outside. They have generous salaries in private space, which they are not willing to give up for a much lower salary in public space, but they will continue to help,” said Oana Țoiu.

The group to which the Foreign Minister refers was criticized by Sorin Grindeanu. The PSD politician has listed this informal group of counselors as a “illegal” one. “There are people from transport companies that I know had interest to bankrupt the state companies,” said Sorin Grindeanu.

Deputy Prime Minister Dragoş Anastasiu announced his resignation on Sunday, in a press conference over an hour, in which he talked about the context in which, for eight years, during 2009-2017, his company bribed an ANAF employee. He claimed that the context in which he agreed to give bribe was “one of major crisis” and it was about “survival bribe” in the face of state abuses.