Radu Miruță, negative opinion for the position of Minister of Defense

Radu Miruță, nominated for the position of Defense Minister, received a negative endorsement from Parliament’s specialized committees. The vote ended with 21 votes against and 17 in favor.

During the hearings, Miruță spoke about several shortcomings within the Ministry of National Defense, some recurring and others occasional, which he said affect organizational capacity and the internal climate. Among the main problems he mentioned was the shortage of military personnel and the low staffing level.

The nominated minister said that this year a recruitment process was launched for 7,500 young people who are to become employees of the Romanian Army. He emphasized that this was the first time since 2007 that a voluntary military service program had been initiated, following Parliament’s adoption of the law on voluntary military service.

According to estimates presented by Miruță, the full implementation of the programs could bring between 10,000 and 10,500 young people into the system, a significant number in relation to the current personnel strength.

Another issue he pointed to was the lack of appeal of permanent positions held within the European Union and NATO. Miruță said that, in some cases, the incomes received by military personnel seconded to these structures had become lower than those earned in Romania.