Agriculture minister-designate Tanczos Barna said on Saturday that Romania needs a stable government for the next two years, adding that the Democratic Union of Hungarians in Romania (UDMR) would support, in the Muresan Government, protecting and defending the rights of the Hungarian community, keeping taxes from being increased and cutting VAT to 19% as soon as budgetary balance allows.

'The presence of the Democratic Union of Hungarians in Romania in Parliament, as well as in any government, focuses first and foremost on preserving and defending the rights of the Hungarian community, as we have done over the past three and a half decades in Parliament and in the governments in which we have been represented. We will continue to support these rights in this government as well. At the same time, amid numerous economic challenges, we consider economic stability essential, supported by a government programme focused on stability and overcoming this impasse. We continue to support the idea of not increasing taxes,' he said at a press conference held after Prime Minister-designate Siegfried Muresan submitted the government programme and list of ministers to Parliament.

He stressed that 'a new public pay law is essential, regardless of negotiations with the Commission'.

'For Romania, for fairness, social justice and stability in the public sector, we need a new public pay law. We support the adoption of such a law in the near future. And for the next two years, we need a stable government, one that can offer citizens and the business community a sense of direction,' Tanczos Barna said.

According to him, the agriculture programme had been discussed with numerous farmers' representatives.

'If we are talking about the use of water for agricultural irrigation, improving livestock breeds, the agricultural land leasing law, or the insurance system for farmers who have to cope with climate challenges, all these elements have been discussed in recent weeks with agricultural associations, and together with them we have once again drawn up (...) these proposals aimed at supporting farmers. In agriculture as well, time is of the essence. Farmers need support now, and I hope this will happen in the coming weeks,' he added. AGERPRES (RO - writing by: Alina Novaceanu; EN - writing by: Cristina Zaharia)