Environment minister demands weather chief's dismissal over luxury purchases
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The head of the National Meteorology Administration, Elena Mateescu, is facing dismissal after a ministry audit found the agency had been purchasing bras, perfumes, and pajamas with public funds. The report has been forwarded to prosecutors; it appears the agency’s forecast for the week involves a high probability of a corruption probe.
The designated prime minister, Luca Niculescu, plans to submit his cabinet and program to parliament on Thursday. His platform focuses on pension increases for low earners and a return to a unified salary scale, though critics suggest his technocratic leanings are a late attempt to steady a five-month political storm.
Elsewhere, prosecutors have indicted Bogdan Peșchir for allegedly spending $290,000 on influencers to sway voters toward the populist Călin Georgescu. Meanwhile, much of the country is under a yellow alert for heavy rain and sleet, an event for which the meteorological agency is, if nothing else, well-dressed.