Baku-APA.Romanian Transport Minister Ioan Rus on Thursday announced his resignation, after his inappropriate remarks on Romanians working abroad, APA reports quoting Xinhua.
The resignation was soon accepted by Prime Minister Victor Ponta.
"I regret the situation generated by the statements of Mr. Ioan Rus. He has assumed responsibility and filed his resignation from minister," said the prime minister, adding that "I have accepted his resignation and next week we'll discuss about this portfolio's replacement."
The minister came under heavy criticism by mass media and from the oppositions for his offensive words towards millions of Romanians working in other countries.
Late Wednesday, Rus said on a television show that Romania has 3 million people in the West and they mostly work in construction. They can earn 1,500 euros, "but for the sum, their children became punks and wives whore in their home county."
Subsequently, the minister sent a press release in which he apologized and argued that the wording used is "artistic generalization."
"I did not want to harm in any way the dignity of any person by those statements, but only to draw attention to the high price paid by thousands of Romanians who chose to leave to work abroad," Rus explained in the release.
He stressed that he wanted to tell those working away from home that in the near future, many of them could find a job in the country, because Romania will need manpower and specialists in construction of infrastructure projects in the future.
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