Interim Prime Minister Catalin Predoiu takes office

Romania is and must remain a resilient democracy, a country whose development objectives remain anchored in Euro-Atlantic values, interim Prime Minister Catalin Predoiu said on Tuesday.According to a government press release, interim Prime Minister Catalin Predoiu has taken office at the Victoria Palace of Government, under Presidential Decree number 623, published in the Official Journal 401 of May 6, 2025.'The Romanian Government will continue its work under the interim conditions, as established by the Constitution and the laws. Continuity and governmental coherence are important for the smooth running of public affairs, but also for the predictability and balance of private economic circuits, for the financial markets, for the interests of all Romanian companies, civil society, all Romanian citizens, wherever they may be. This interim mandate is taking place in an important electoral context for all Romanian citizens,' Catalin Predoiu, was quoted as saying in the press release.The interim prime minister assured that the executive institutions will fulfill their duties and competences with 'fairness, transparency and full legality', so that Romanians will be able to exercise their vote freely and in public safety, as happened in the first round of the presidential elections, held a few days ago.At the same time, he said that although it is only an interim mandate, the Government will remain an open interlocutor for Romania's social partners, investors, and foreign partners.  *** Catalin Marian Predoiu was born on August 27, 1968, in Buzau, Buzau County.He is a class of 1991 Faculty of Law of the University of Bucharest graduate. In 2003, he got a Doctor of Law degree Summa Laudae from the University of Bucharest. He completed his university studies in 1994, when he took an internship in the legal profession at the Caen Bar, France.He was a professor at the Faculty of Law, University of Bucharest (1994-2007). In 1991 he became a member of the Bucharest Bar Association. In 2021 he operated his own legal firm.As far as his political activity is concerned, Predoiu joined the Liberal Democratic Party (PDL) on July 5, 2013. He was first vice-president of PDL (2013-2014). On July 26, 2014, an extraordinary convention of the Congress of the National Liberal Party (PNL) passed a protocol of merger with PDL, the statutes and political agenda of the new party and the protocol of the electoral alliance - the Christian Liberal Alliance (ACL).He was first vice-president of PNL (2014-2017) and chairman of PNL Bucharest (Dec. 2015-June 2016).In the 2014 presidential election, the National Political Bureau of the merged PNL-PDL decided to pick Predoiu as a candidate for the position of prime minister of the Christian Liberal Alliance, with Klaus Iohannis being their presidential candidate.On May 18, 2016, he officially launched his candidacy for the Bucharest City Hall.In the 2016-2020 legislature, he was elected MP in the electoral constituency no. 12 Calarasi, on the PNL tickets. On December 6, 2020, he was re-elected to the Chamber of Deputies in electoral constituency 31 Prahova, on the PNL tickets.He was a justice minister in the cabinet led by Calin Popescu Tariceanu (Feb.-Nov. 2008) and in the cabinet led by Emil Boc (Dec. 2008-Oct. 2009); interim justice minister after the Boc Government was dismissed under a motion of censure by Parliament (Oct. 2009) and interim foreign minister (Oct. 2009); justice minister in the Boc IV cabinet (23 Dec. 2009 - 6 Feb. 2012); justice minister in the Ungureanu government (9 February 2012 - 7 May 2012); justice minister in the Ludovic Orban government (Nov. 2019-Dec. 2020); justice minister (Nov. 2021-15 Jun 2023), caretaker prime minister (12-15 Jun 2023) and home affairs minister since 15 Jun 2023.On December 23, 2024, Predoiu was picked for home affairs minister in a government formed by Marcel Ciolacu after the December 1, 2024 general election. He was again caretaker prime minister on February 6, 2012, replacing resigning Prime Minister Emil Boc pending the formation of a new government.He has published numerous studies, special works, and political opinion articles.In 2003, he was awarded the I.L. Georgescu prize of the Romanian Jurists' Union and the Simion Barnutiu prize of the Romanian Academy. (Photo:https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=1205746484249373&set=pb.100044420979748.-2207520000&locale=ro_RO_