until the swearing in of a successor. On March 12, President Traian Băsescu signed a decree removing Ungureanu from his position. Foreign Information Service tenure On November 27, 2007, Băsescu nominated Ungureanu to head the Foreign Information Service (SIE), the directorship of which had been vacant since Claudiu Săftoiu's March 19 resignation, related to the same scandal in Iraq. A joint session of Parliament confirmed Ungureanu in his new position on December 5, with 295 of 318 MPs present voting in favour. Prime Minister On February 6, 2012, Ungureanu was given a mandate by President Traian Băsescu to form a new government, which the Romanian parliament approved on February 9, 2012. Ungureanu vowed to continue reforms and promote Romania's economic and political stability amid the country's political crisis. As Prime Minister, Ungureanu had become the Democratic Liberal Party's probable candidate for the presidency when Băsescu's term expired in 2014, senior party members said, a move echoing Russia's President Boris Yeltsin's choice and promotion of Vladimir Putin. After two and a half months, Ungureanu's cabinet failed to pass a no-confidence vote introduced by the Social Liberal Union. Opposition leader Victor Ponta on 7 May 2012 replaced him as prime minister. After Prime Ministership The political activity of Ungureanu after the premiership was intensive. In July 2012, he founded the non-governmental organization of Center-Right Civic Initiative (ICCD), together with PDL leaders Cristian Preda and Monica Macovei. He spoke about a political and electoral forces, without PNL. The alliance was founded in late August 2012 and include Democratic Liberal Party (PDL), Christian Democratic National Peasants' Party (PNȚCD), New Republic Party and Center-Right Civic Initiative. On 31 August, Ungureanu joined Civic Force (FC). Civic Force leadership Ungureanu was elected the Head of the party during The Civic Force party congress in September 2012. Civic Force Party (PFC) became the "electoral vehicle" of ICCD and replaced the ONG in Right Romania Alliance (ARD) membership. After the election, Ungureanu started a European tournee for the accession of PFC to European People's Party (EPP). On 11 September, he met with the Italian deputy and member of The People of Freedom (PdL), Claudio Scajola, the Mayor of Rome and Giovanni Battista Re, secretary of Holy See. They welcomed the formation of "an alliance of right in the opposition of left attacks". Ungureanu reorganized the party, founding new branches of the PFC around the country. He has held discussions