Bad luck! We enter the new year without a Minister of Education. In the country that is not able to keep its children in school, where is the rush? / The solution for Ilie Bolojan

The 30th Minister of Education, since 1989, is to be appointed in early 2026, after surprise resignation of Daniel David from December 22. After Ilie Bolojan tried with a technocrat, he now seems to be determined to appoint a party member to Education: Marilen Pirtea or Luciana Antoci. Looking at the situation in the Romanian education system, probably even Ilie Bolojan said to himself: “Anyway, that's it.”

Daniel David managed in one year to annoy everyone possible: teachers, parents, students, people in the system and, finally, even his direct boss, Prime Minister Ilie Bolojan. Faced with more and more moves in his own Executive (the resignation of Ionuț Moșteanu, the reassignment of Radu Miruță from Economy to Defense and the entry into the Government of Irineu Darău), Prime Minister Ilie Bolojan kept insisting in his public appearances in recent weeks that he is a follower of stability.

More clearly stated: Bolojan prefers not to change ministers in the Government, because, from his point of view, these changes are not beneficial, because the period of adaptation to the projects of each ministry lasts, which in itself leads to a postponement of some necessary decisions.

But in vain. Daniel David couldn't resist any longer. He chose to leave. A point minus the stability of the Government led by the one who imposed David on Education a year ago.

Stability is good, but let's see it quiet for the holidays

Immediately after David's resignation, the options considered to replace him appeared: Marilen Pirtea – PNL parliamentarian, rector of the University of the West and honorary adviser to the prime minister or Luciana Antoci – from PNL Iași, former general school inspector in Iași and currently state adviser to the prime minister Ilie Bolojan on education issues.

The press wanted to find out as quickly as possible which of the two would be chosen. He bustles about in the newsrooms and in the Whatsapp messages of journalists with political people. Maybe Pirtea? He has more experience in the party. However, Antoci also has a chance, because Pirtea has minus points after the journalist Emilia Șercan discovered that he had plagiarized several scientific articles. Will the new minister be sworn in before Christmas? Maybe between Christmas and New Years though.

Break.

“Decisions will be made after the holidays”, Marilen Pirtea announces dryly, in a statement for Agerpres, in which she confirms that she has been offered the position of minister.

Then we all remembered that we were fussing for nothing. Where's the hurry? It's not like Education in Romania was ever a priority.

Sure, it's been a few days, it's the holidays, but the situation shows a general attitude on the subject. Politicians don't give it that much importance. It goes like that. Just like when President Nicușor Dan said that money should be taken from education and given to the field of defense.

All this despite the fact that we are the last European country in terms of school dropouts and have one of the most underfunded education systems in the world, according to the Education at a Glance 2025 report of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD).

Déjà-vu brand Bolojan: when no one wants the position, you take it

Prime Minister Ilie Bolojan knows what it's like for no one to crowd in to take over an office. He himself told us that, in June 2025, seeing that no one really wants to mess with the position of prime minister, he agreed to be the politically “sacrificed” one.

It seems now that the same thing is happening in Education. No one wants to be sacrificed in front of a year that promises to be as difficult economically and against the background of enormous dissatisfaction on the part of pupils, teachers and students after the measures taken by David, under the watchful eye of Bolojan.

After the resignation of Deputy Prime Minister Dragoș Anastasiu from the Government, Ilie Bolojan took over his position on an interim basis. He even exceeded the maximum 45-day deadline provided by law for holding the position on an interim basis, as HotNews has reported several times. On September 28, the term expired, according to the law, and Bolojan made a new proposal for this position only on October 28, in the person of Oanai Gheorghiu.

Ilie Bolojan can ensure stability and not upset anyone

Marilen Pirtea is a controversial character even before taking the position of minister. Those plagiarized science articles don't help him. The fact that he is in his fourth term as rector, although the law allows only two, is another reason not to be proud of such an appointment.

However, we already know that Bolojan wants him. Pirtea himself confirmed it to us, when he said that he was indeed offered the position, but that he would decide after the holidays. Maybe Bolojan doesn't want to upset him by rethinking his offer. Maybe he doesn't want to upset other influential circles in the PNL. We don't know. It is clear, however, that it depends on something, otherwise, normally, we would have already had a new Minister of Education.

Being therefore in a mess, the solution is simple: Ilie Bolojan can take over the position of Minister of Education on an interim basis. As much as he wants. He has already demonstrated to us anyway that he does not mess around in the 45 days provided by law. So, free to Education!

Beyond the obviously ironic suggestion, Pirtea did not say after which holidays he will decide whether he wants to be a minister or not. Maybe after Easter in 2026. Anyway, in 2027 Sorin Grindeanu will be prime minister. With the need for stability, what sense does it make to appoint a Minister of Education now? For a year or so? Total nothingness. Come with stability!