Romania must be solidary to all the events in Europe, in terms of both obligations and rights, but the country cannot accept refugees above its accommodation capacity, Prime Minister Victor Ponta declared on Monday.
“Right now, Romania’s capacity stands at 1,500 places, of which 200 are already occupied,” he mentioned.
“At 11.30pm I had a phone conversation with the Bulgarian prime minister; I had already talked with the Serbian and Slovakian prime ministers, because I want to have alongside Interior Minister [Vice Prime Minister Gabriel] Oprea a very clear position of our Government about the refugees (…) so that Romania has a consolidated stance on the meeting of the CSAT [Supreme Council for Country’s Defence]. I think the CSAT will convene next week,” Ponta mentioned at the offices of his Social Democrat Party.
He added that he first discussed the topic with President Klaus Iohannis, while talks with the Interior minister concerned the logistics.
“We can see now the injustice done to Romania about the Schengen [Area], and if we’re solidary in obligations, we’re also solidary in rights, and the same countries that now ask our solidarity on the issue of refugees have kept postponing us about Schengen. Under no circumstances can we receive on the short term more refugees than we can accommodate,” Ponta stressed.
According to him, the European countries must find solution to eliminate the migration’s causes, not its effects.
The decision on accepting the allocated quotas of refugees belongs to the CSAT, the premier asserted, according to Agerpres.
“I will not say anything bad about Oprescu”
PM Victor Ponta also stated on Monday that he will not say anything negative about Bucharest Mayor Sorin Oprescu, arrested on Sunday under bribe-taking charges.
“I watch TV in astonishment, as I do not have other information apart from that shown on TV; I cannot but look and I want to tell you one thing only, from a political point of view: do not expect me to join the choir of […] jackals and hyenas which are now attacking Oprescu. I will never say anything bad about him. The rest… everyone is in charge of their lives,” Ponta stated at the headquarters of the Social Democrat Party (PSD), following a meeting of the party’s leadership.
