PM Ponta on Hellvig's nomination as Intelligence Service director

Prime Minister Victor Ponta, the head of the Social Democrat Party, said his party will discuss in their parliamentary groups the nomination of Eduard Hellvig as director of the Romanian Intelligence Service (SRI).

Photo credit: (c) Alex TUDOR / AGERPRES FLOW

Hellvig, a member of the National Liberal Party and of the European Parliament, was nominated for the position of SRI head on Thursday by President Klaus Iohannis; he must pass a vote in the Parliament to be appointed.

'We will discuss this proposition in our parliamentary groups [of the Chambers of Deputies and Senate], Ponta told AGERPRES.

According to Article 23 of Law 14 of February 24 1993, the position of SRI Director is equivalent to a minister's rank.

The director is nominated in a joint sitting of the Chamber of Deputies and of the Senate, upon the proposition of the President of Romania, after the nominee is heard by the committee in charge of the parliamentary control of the Romanian Intelligence Service; the committee then submits its report to the joint chambers of the Parliament, the law stipulates.

The aforementioned law also requires the director to be sworn in by the Parliament.AGERPRES