Presidency spokesperson Valeriu Turcan claims that the Romanian President was invited as Head of State and the summit’s goal was to prepare the European Council scheduled on March 24-25.
PSD leader Victor Ponta continues his series of attacks against President Traian Basescu over the Head of State’s presence at the EPP Summit in Helsinki. Ponta announced yesterday that USL will notify the Court of Accounts, arguing that the Head of State used public funds for personal interest by attending the summit of a European party. In Ponta’s view, the presence, financed from public funds, of Basescu, who is not a party member, at a European-level political summit is as condemnable as him presiding PDL’s party meetings. “I don’t believe we have to pay for President Traian Basescu’s agape or for his meetings with Viktor Orban. He can pay for them himself or from PDL’s budget which is sizable,” Ponta stated for Mediafax.
Asked whether this trip financed from public funds is a reason to impeach Basescu, Victor Ponta responded: “I did my duty of pointing out something wrong. As for the rest you’re once again speculating.”
On the other hand, he accused Presidential spokesperson Valeriu Turcan of “lying” when claiming that President Traian Basescu attended that summit alongside other Heads of State. “The Presidential Administration’s official response according to which other Presidents attended this summit too is a lie. Check out the EPP’s official website and you will see Traian Basescu was the only Head of State there. Other Heads of State did not attend it, they couldn’t have. Now that we’ve mentioned PDL maybe Norway’s President was there…,” Ponta said.
VALERIU TURCAN: BASESCU REPRESENTED ROMANIA’S INTERESTS
Valeriu Turcan stated that Victor Ponta’s accusations show that for PSD “representing Romania’s interests is an infringement of the Constitution” and pointed out that President Basescu’s presence in Helsinki, financed from public funds, served the national interest. “His (Victor Ponta’s – editor’s note) statement shows a lack of understanding of the decisional processes at European level and of the important issues for Romania. The trip was paid from the public funds earmarked for the Presidential Administration since it served the national interest, not a private interest,” Turcan stated, being quoted by Mediafax. He pointed out that the Romanian President was invited as Head of State and the summit’s goal was to prepare the European Council scheduled on March 24-25. “A series of important issues for European member states was discussed – ensuring financial stability, economic governance and hiking competitiveness in member states. Likewise, the developments in Libya were also discussed. The summit in Helsinki prepared the decisions to be taken within the European Council, it was an opportunity for Heads of State and Government to promote their national points of view,” the Presidency’s spokesperson added. He pointed out that apart from Heads of State and Government the summit was also attended by President of the European Council Herman Van Rompuy, President of the European Commission Jose Manuel Barosso and President of the European Parliament Jerzy Buzek.
However, the EPP’s website contradicts Turcan. In fact, Turcan did not name a single Head of State present at the summit and naming the Presidents of the EU bodies is irrelevant in this context.
