Who Will Lead the Espionage and Counter-Intelligence Services, That Is the Question

President Traian Basescu wants to control the secret services, and to that end will change not the heads, but the deputy-heads of the intelligence services with people of his liking. They, in fact, will hold the reigns of the intelligence community.
For this kind of move Basescu does not need any Parliament approval.

The liberals salso senior members of the ruling coalition, along the Democrat Party, which Basescu headed till the elections last fallt want though the leadership of the espionage services to go to Catalin Harnagea.

The second regular meeting of the Supreme Council for the Defense of the Country is to take place tomorrow, when sources say changes at the helm of the secret services, as well as the plan for setting up the intelligence community as a cohesive body, are on the agenda.

The National Liberal Party filed an official request with the Presidency to change the leaders of the espionage, counter-intelligence, special communications and secret services, since those holding the positions were nominated by the Social Democrats, now in opposition.
The same sources, however, say Basescu is unwilling to give the liberals what they want.

Harnagea, the liberals’ choice for the top position in the espionage service, held the job before: between 1997 and 2000, during the presidency of Emil Constantinescu. And before that he had been a presidential adviser to Constantinescu.
PM Calin Popescu Tariceanu sand leader of the National Liberal Partyt approved of Harnagea’s nomination.
But Harnagea is being investigated by prosecutors in the Rompetrol case. He is also a close friend of the company’s president, Dinu Patriciu, and of Tariceanu’s.

Thus tensions between Basescu and the liberals are likely to rise, given that they want their people leading not only the civilian secret services, but also the military ones.
This would be a first, since the military intelligence was out of the political game so far.