PSD leader Victor Ponta yesterday accused the government of committing a true ‘social genocide’ by restricting social healthcare services, noting that the new letter of intent agreed on between the Executive and the IMF provides that, starting with 2012, ‘unessential’ healthcare services will receive no more funding.
‘That is extremely serious. It is a concealed decision. The government is not brave enough to come out and speak about this thing which will affect the lives of all Romanians,’ Ponta said, according to Mediafax. The PSD leader added that USL would use all the tools it has, including the no-confidence vote, to stop the ‘social genocide’ prepared by the Boc Cabinet.
According to the last letter of intent between the Romanian government and the IMF, quoted by Mediafax, the Executive will revise the package of social medical services in order for the state to cover less conditions and only provide ‘unessential’ medical services under supplementary, private included, health insurance schemes as of 2012. The new commitment is included in the last letter of intent agreed on following the July-August review mission and approved the Executive mid-September. The new rules are to be implemented before the end of March 2012. At the same time, Ponta claims the Executive’s intention to set up two energy companies in the Jiu Valley and Oltenia to be afterwards privatised – information also coming from the same letter of intent between the government and IMF – means a total of 1,200 miners will be laid off in October. In his view, privatising energy companies in a moment of crisis, when the market is low, is an act of betrayal of national interest. In the context, he accused the Boc Government of getting ready to make ‘one last hit’.
On the other hand, Ponta noted that, personally, he would like Traian Basescu to keep his word and not appoint a PM from USL, in which situation – he says- the Union would start impeachment procedures and give Romania an early presidential election. Asked in which conditions USL would agree to cohabitate with President Basescu, Ponta answered that USL would stand united in election, obtain 50 per cent plus one seats in Parliament and, as soon as the new Legislative is set up, the new majority would go to President Traian Basescu with its proposed PM from USL. ‘If Traian Basescu keeps his word – but that rarely happens – and rejects people’s vote, we will immediately proceed to enforcing the provisions of the Constitution on the suspension and impeachment of the head of state. (…) In that way we will have presidential election much sooner and I hope Mr. Antonescu will be the president with whom I will work as a PM,’ the PSD leader further said.
