PDL First Vice-President Mihai Stanisoara joins PNL

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The MP holds he reached the decision after “deep thinking”, pointing out the PNL is the “only party able to successfully support and implement a rightwing policy in Romania”. Stanisoara could become a PNL vice-president.

The National Liberal Party (PNL) continues the string of recent “acquisitions” which began with coopting Sibiu Mayor Klaus Johannis into the party with Democrat-Liberal First Vice-President Mihai Stanisoara, another outstanding politician that yesterday announced his joining the Crin Antonescu-led party. Stanisoara has been the leader of the Democrat-Liberal deputies and president of the Mehedinti Co. branch of the Democratic Liberal Party (PDL). The announcement was made at a joint press conference attended by Stanisoara and PNL President Crin Antonescu.  Stanisoara said he took the decision as he believes the PNL is the “only party able to successfully support and implement a rightwing policy in Romania”. “I join the PNL assuring my new fellow party members and my partners that I will be honest, sincere, fair-minded, loyal and competitive as well,” Mediafax quoted Stanisoara as saying. The deputy pointed out that, to him, “PDL represents the past, and PNL the present and the future”. Asked whether he had told his former party colleagues or PDL leader Vasile Blaga about his decision to join the PNL, Stanisoara had this to say: “I haven’t talked to Mr. Vasile Blaga, I though it more appropriate for everybody to find out about my decision at the same time. (…) I’m not the kind of person to look back in anger, therefore, what’s important is what happens henceforth”. In his turn, PNL President Crin Antonescu, announced he would ask the party’s Central Standing Bureau (BPC) and the Standing Delegation that Mihai Stanisoara occupy the PNL vice-president position in charge of national security policies. Antonescu specified that was his decision, as Stanisoara made no demands on holding a position in the PNL. Referring to the former defense minister’s coopting in PNL, Antonescu reminded that the motion passed at the recent PNL congress explicitly mentions the appeal to right-leaning personalities and groups. Antonescu also described Mihai Stanisoara as “a right-wing man” and a person any party would like to have among its ranks, given his vast and important experience in an area of special political competence.Democrat-Liberals were critical of Stanisoara defecting from PDL three weeks before the National Convention where a new leadership will be elected. PDL First Vice-President Cezar Preda declared himself amazed at the news and said he found Stanisoara’s attitude incomprehensible. Preda added that Stanisoara had never showed any dissatisfaction to convey to the   PDL leadership. “No comment, plain and simple! A man who held all the positions possible in the PDL, including those of minister, commission chairman, group leader, to have such attitude! There is no comment to be made. People are looking into what possibly could have made him do what he did,” said Preda.For his part, PDL Deputy Mircea Toader expressed surprise at Stanisoara joining the PNL, though he added he couldn’t realize what made him did what he did, and puts it on his friendship with Sorin Frunzaverde (chairman of the Caras Severin County Council who joined the  PNL ranks a year ago). Democrat-Liberal Teodor Baconschi however does not consider the move as surprising, since the “road to betrayal” had been previously ushered in by Frunzaverde. PDL Vice-President Sulfina Barbu described Stanisoara as just “another opportunistic person” and is convinced that “PDL will survive without those who want to join the ruling coalition”. Former transport minister Radu Berceanu, equated Mihai Stanisoara’s departure to PNL not with a move, but betrayal”, and said the party “cleaned itself of the dirt”.Mihai Stanisoara has so far had a career peppered with important positions, most of which got while the Democrat-Liberals were in power: a deputy sine as early as  the 2000- 2004 legislature, Defense Commission chairman, national security presidential adviser and defense minister in the Boc government.Some voices in PDL availed themselves of Mihai Stanisoara’s departure from the party to attack Democrat-Liberal leader Vasile Blaga, among them  MEP and Monica Macovei supporter Cristian Preda, who said yesterday that Stanisoara joining the PNL shows the Democrat-Liberal leader’s lack of authority. “President Blaga insisted on Stanisoara being appointed leader of deputies and his departure only shows Blaga’s poor authority over the party. Unfortunately, other departures may be in the pipeline as well,” Cristi Preda said.For his part, PNL Vice-President Sorin Frunzaverde admitted being instrumental to Stanisoara leaving the PDL for the PNL, pointing out more departures from PDL could be expected. “I announced since as early as last spring the construction of a very strong right-wing party, the PNL. Mr. Stanisoara joining the party is a gain, he is a strong personality, a very good politician,” Frunzaverde told Ziare.com. Asked how the aspiration to a constitutional provision banning political defection would fit in with Mihai Stanisoara joining the PNL, Antonescu said that the “politic serial defection” is but formally a tag that could be attached to Stanisoara or other people to join the PNL, as the party’s latest congress was in favor of the party’s openness.  “Mr. Stanisoara presented the grounds for his political action, and as of now, it is not against any law or any article in the Constitution,” the PNL replied.Referring to Mihai Stanisoara parting ways with the PDL, the party’s leader, Vasile Blaga said it was “opportunism, and not Liberal ideas that made him take this step, since at the budget vote two and a half weeks ago his discourse against the USL was quite caustic” .