PM Ponta: First option for Romania is European Commissioner for Agriculture post

Romania's main option concerning the composition of the future European Commission is keeping the Agriculture portfolio, but the Justice portfolio option 'would not be bad,' Prime Minister Victor Ponta said on Monday, following the discussions on this topic carried out within the ruling coalition, with the participation of Senate President Calin Popescu-Tariceanu.

'Today, we had talks in the ruling coalition — made up of the Social Democratic Union, the Hungarian Democratic Union — Mr Tariceanu was also present, and Romania's main option is that of keeping the Agriculture portfolio. In case this is not possible, we must talk about another important portfolio,' Ponta said.

According to him, Romania will have a weak negotiating power for a representative to the European Commission, as President Traian Basescu will go to the talks in Brussels.

'The one who should negotiate is not there, and that is me. The one who is present there has no negotiating power. Everyone knows that he obtained 6 per cent and that in November he leaves power, anyway. Therefore, from this point of view, unfortunately, same as at the moment of negotiating the budget for 2014-2020, when Mr Basescu was there and we obtained the weakest allotment of all EU states, I am afraid that Mr Basescu, obviously disinterested in what happens in Romania, could lose the Agriculture portfolio next year or could fail to obtain something for Romania,' the Prime Minister also said.

Victor Ponta explained that the first discussion to be carried out in Brussels will be related to the portfolios, after which each country observes a procedure for nominating the candidates.

The Prime Minister added that it would not be bad for a second option on Romania's...