Romanian PM Calin Popescu Tariceanu announced on Monday that he decided to dismiss a top official of the Education Ministry after a much politicized scandal sparked by revelations that a journalists obtained part of the subjects in high school capacity exams.
Tariceanu announced he would fire Education Ministry state secretary Paloma Petrescu but said he would not push the series of resignations to Education minister Mihail Hardau, who would be kept in office.
The move comes after newspaper Adevarul revealed last weekend that one of his journalists obtained the subjects at capacity exams currently taking place across the country. The capacity exams are tests at the end of secondary school and are used as a pre-selection for high school admission.
Tariceanu’s threats last weekend that he would dismiss ministry official Petrescu sparked speculation that the move would be politically motivated, taking into account the rivalries between the Liberal prime minister and Democratic Party officials of the Education Ministry.
