Romania sank deeper into political crisis Monday after Interior Minister Ioan Rus resigned, citing "unacceptable" pressures over an impeachment referendum against President Traian Basescu. "I have submitted my resignation for my own honour," said Rus, a member of Prime Minister Victor Ponta's centre-left coalition, the Social Liberal Union (USL).
Condemning "criticism and pressure" from political figures, including both suspended centre-right Basescu and interim president Crin Antonescu, Rus also announced the resignation of Victor Dobre, the junior interior minister tasked with organising the vote.
"We have been subjected to multiple forms of pressure, discussions, and criticism, coming from Romanian political figures from Traian Basescu to Crin Antonescu," he said. "From my point of view and from (Dobre's) point of view, these things are unacceptable. "We think we organised this referendum sufficiently well." Rus and Dobre "have resigned because they would not play the game of some USL members who want to change eligible voter data after the vote," said analyst Alina Mungiu-Pippidi of the Romanian Academic Society.
After Rus's resignation, Ponta announced a cabinet reshuffle, replacing Rus by Mircea Dusa, whose post as minister for parliamentary relations will be taken over by Dan Sova, a senator with the ruling USL coalition and former spokesman for Ponta. Justice Minister Titus Corlatean was moved to head the foreign ministry, replacing Andrei Marga, and Corlatean's job given to a judge, Mona Pivniceru, known as a virulent opponent of Basescu.