Romania's ruling leftists pick new justice minister after decree debacle

Romania's ruling leftist coalition proposed a new justice minister on Wednesday as part of a cabinet reshuffle it hopes will draw a line under a period of upheaval triggered by a decree on graft that it was later forced to scrap.

Florin Iordache, architect of the decree, stepped down as justice minister following mass protests and international criticism. The decree would have shielded dozens of public officials from prosecution.

The leadership of the ruling Social Democrat Party and its junior coalition partner ALDE, who have been in power little more than a month, named Tudorel Toader as Iordache's replacement.

Toader, 56, is the chancellor of Iasi university and a former judge of the constitutional court.

Also in the reshuffle, the coalition proposed that Economy Minister Alexandru Petrescu take over the trade and business portfolio after the previous minister, Florin Jianu, resigned over the graft decree before it was rescinded.

Romania's President Klaus Iohannis, a former centre-right politician and a strong critic of the graft decree, must still approve the new ministers.

(This article has not been edited by DNA's editorial team and is auto-generated from an agency feed.)