Romania swears in new government

Romania’s new prime minister vowed to bring press freedoms, an independent justice system and a working market economy today as his centrist government was sworn in.

Prime Minister Calin Popescu Tariceanu told MPs he would also fight corruption, improve health care and prepare the country for European Union membership priorities.

“I want an independent justice system… to restore fundamental freedoms to the press which has been sorely tried in recent years, and an authentic market economy,” Tariceanu said after he had been sworn in.

Romania hopes to join the European Union in 2007, but the EU has warned it needs to free the justice system from political interference, improve fragile press freedoms and clean up endemic corruption.

Tariceanu, a Liberal politician and wealthy businessman, has built a slim parliamentary majority around his centrist Justice and Truth Alliance.

The coalition Cabinet includes business people, politicians and rights activists in the line up. Many of the new ministers are young and have not been involved in politics under Communism.

Tariceanu and Basescu also have promised to immediately introduce a flat, 16% tax to replace corporate and personal income taxes now ranging from 18 to 40%.

MPs voted 265-200 to approve the new government. Of the 24 ministers, 17 come from the Justice and Truth Alliance and the rest are from two smaller parties, a group representing ethnic Hungarians and the Humanist Party.