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Romanian PM acknowledges problems with proposal for EU commissioner

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  • Romanian PM acknowledges problems with proposal for EU commissioner

    International Herald Tribune, France
    Oct 27 2006


    Romanian PM acknowledges problems with country's proposal for EU
    commissioner
    The Associated Press

    Published: October 27, 2006


    BUCHAREST, Romania Romania's Prime Minister Calin Popescu Tariceanu
    acknowledged Friday that there were problems with the country's
    nomination for European commissioner but said that attacks on the
    candidate were partly based on unsubstantiated information.

    Sen. Varujan Vosganian of the Liberal Party was not approved by the
    European Parliament on Thursday after criticism from the Socialist
    faction in the Parliament, who said he was too right-wing and had
    been "on the payroll of big economic tycoons," according to Hannes
    Swoboda and Jan Marinus Wiersma, vice presidents of the Socialist
    group in a statement.

    The European Commission Thursday accepted Meglena Kuneva, Bulgaria's
    European affairs minister for the post but said it would continue
    consultations on Vosganian.

    Vosganian flew back to Bucharest late Thursday and had talks with
    Tariceanu on Friday about the situation. The Romanian media alleged
    that Vosganian had collaborated with the foreign espionage agency of
    former dictator Nicolae Ceausescu.

    "The sensitive points are that he collaborated with the Securitate
    and that he was funded" by economic interest groups, Tariceanu told
    reporters after the meeting.

    The prime minister and Vosganian said that allegations about
    Vosganian collaborating with the secret police could not be
    confirmed. Tariceanu said foreign intelligence chiefs had told him
    that Vosganian had not collaborated.

    "I had no kind of collaboration with the Securitate (communist-era
    secret police) and there is no kind of document that says that I
    informed for the Securitate or foreign intelligence," said Vosganian.

    Vosganian, 48, chair of the Senate's budget and finance committee, is
    known for supporting free-market policies. He is also a fervent
    backer of his country's flat tax of 16 percent, which Romania
    introduced in 2005 to replace a progressive taxation scheme ranging
    from 18 to 40 percent.

    A mathematician and economist, Vosganian is also a writer and poet.
    He heads the National Union of (Ethnic) Armenians in Romania. Romania
    and Bulgaria are due to join the European Union on Jan. 1.

    BUCHAREST, Romania Romania's Prime Minister Calin Popescu Tariceanu
    acknowledged Friday that there were problems with the country's
    nomination for European commissioner but said that attacks on the
    candidate were partly based on unsubstantiated information.

    Sen. Varujan Vosganian of the Liberal Party was not approved by the
    European Parliament on Thursday after criticism from the Socialist
    faction in the Parliament, who said he was too right-wing and had
    been "on the payroll of big economic tycoons," according to Hannes
    Swoboda and Jan Marinus Wiersma, vice presidents of the Socialist
    group in a statement.

    The European Commission Thursday accepted Meglena Kuneva, Bulgaria's
    European affairs minister for the post but said it would continue
    consultations on Vosganian.

    Vosganian flew back to Bucharest late Thursday and had talks with
    Tariceanu on Friday about the situation. The Romanian media alleged
    that Vosganian had collaborated with the foreign espionage agency of
    former dictator Nicolae Ceausescu.

    "The sensitive points are that he collaborated with the Securitate
    and that he was funded" by economic interest groups, Tariceanu told
    reporters after the meeting.

    The prime minister and Vosganian said that allegations about
    Vosganian collaborating with the secret police could not be
    confirmed. Tariceanu said foreign intelligence chiefs had told him
    that Vosganian had not collaborated.

    "I had no kind of collaboration with the Securitate (communist-era
    secret police) and there is no kind of document that says that I
    informed for the Securitate or foreign intelligence," said Vosganian.

    Vosganian, 48, chair of the Senate's budget and finance committee, is
    known for supporting free-market policies. He is also a fervent
    backer of his country's flat tax of 16 percent, which Romania
    introduced in 2005 to replace a progressive taxation scheme ranging
    from 18 to 40 percent.

    A mathematician and economist, Vosganian is also a writer and poet.
    He heads the National Union of (Ethnic) Armenians in Romania. Romania
    and Bulgaria are due to join the European Union on Jan. 1.
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