President Klaus Iohannis met the representatives of PSD, PNL, UDMR and the group of MPs representing national minorities on Thursday, discussing with them the appointment of a candidate for the office of Prime Minister. A second round of consultations will take place on Friday with ALDE and UNPR representatives.
Dragnea: We should not start from the designation of a premier who would then knock at parties’ doors
PSD chairman Liviu Dragnea said after the talks on Thursday that he had proposed the president that, after the first round of talks, there should be a new consultation of all he parliamentary party leaders to come to an agreement, noting that, in his opinion, it should not start with designating a person should would then knock at the doors of the parties seeking support.
Dragnea said he had proposed the president that, after the first round of talks, there should be a new consultation of all he parliamentary party leaders to come to an agreement on the profile of the new premier and political programme.
He also said that, in that way, the standard, constitutional procedure, that the president consults the parties and then nominates a PM who goes to parties to get political support would be dropped. ‘I want s to start from something else, not the designation of a person who would then knock at the door of each party and all of us be anxious’, he said.
The PSD leader did not rule out the option of a government of national union or a government of technocrats.
Dragnea, on new Government with UNPR: That’s for the president to decide
Liviu Dragnea also said after the talks at Cotroceni on Thursday that the decision on UNPR’s participation in the project proposed by PSD for the formation of the Government was something for Klaus Iohannis to decide.
Asked if PSD could still cooperate with UNPR, Dragnea said ‘it is not about cooperation’ at that point. ‘It is about participating in the construction of a project containing these political objectives. I think the much more important thing is for us to deal not with the temporary situation of one or another, but if we can these days what we said we would do’, said the PSD leader.
Asked if UNPR could also be a part of the construction, Dragnea said ‘that is for the president to decide’.
Moreover, the PSD leader says during the consultations the participants did not discuss the current coalition. ‘Current majorities in Parliament at this point matter, but do not matter very much’, he said. Dragnea did not say if he had talked to UNPR about the proposals made at Cotroceni on Thursday, however he trusts they would be supported by the partners, because ‘they are responsible people’.
PSD gives up PM office and backs Gov’t of technocrats – sources
The PSD delegation that met President Klaus Iohannis on Thursday did not propose any Premier, agreeing to back a Government made up of technocrats and distancing itself from previous statements concerning its coalition with UNPR, PSD sources informed Mediafax.
Thus, although PSD President Liviu Dragnea talked the day before about the existence of the coalition formed with UNPR and ALDE, the point of view expressed before President Klaus Iohannis referred strictly to PSD’s position. According to Social-Democrat sources, the relationship with UNPR was not raised as a topic during the consultations that took place at the Presidential Palace, however PSD continues to look for a solution to form a Government without the backing or contribution of UNPR.
In what concerns the Government, the Social-Democrats did not propose any Premier, despite the fact that Liviu Dragnea had claimed on Wednesday that PSD has a proposal that it will present to the President. The Social-Democrats consider that the creation of a Government with a Prime Minister of political stripe is “impossible” at this moment and they do not want to make a nomination.
According to the aforementioned sources, the change in stance and the giving up of taking direct responsibility for governing has come about also as a result of the second day of protests and of the messages launched by those who took part in them.
Thus, in their talks with President Klaus Iohannis the Social-Democrats expressed their openness to backing a Government led by a technocrat Prime Minister and even one made up of politically independent members, however only on the basis of an agreement based on a comfortable majority in Parliament.
Iohannis expresses hope that most appropriate solutions will be found
Before the start of the consultations with PNL delegation, Klaus Iohannis pointed out that he hopes “the most appropriate solutions” will be found.
“Welcome, it’s a difficult stage for me, a stage that has come about following a tragedy that has sparked political changes and I hope we will find the most appropriate solutions. This is a first round of consultations and I can hardly wait to hear your proposals. Thank you,” Klaus Iohannis stated at the start of his consultations with the PNL delegation.
PNL, after talks with Iohannis: The only choice is to dissolve Parliament and have early election
After approximately 40 minutes of talks, the PNL leaders said they had asked the president to dissolve the Parliament and hold early election.
In fact, the PNL co-presidents had announced already Thursday morning that the Liberal Party would propose to the president the variant of early election.
‘We believe that a lot of mistakes have been made in politics these last 25 years. They are visible in the Romanian society. We are in a difficult moment for the political class and the only choice is to dissolve the Parliament and have early election. (…) I am happy that PSD had a balanced position after the consultations. There is no time for scandal and acute political crises, it is the time of consensual solutions. The message is nothing new to either Iohannis or you. I understood from him that there will be new talks tomorrow, but also the following days, a new round of negotiations. I am happy that he is meeting with the representative of the civil society’, Alina Gorghiu said after the talks with the president.
Vasile Blaga reiterates snap election idea
‘Important projects for Romania for 15-25 years can be implemented by a credible Parliament. That can be achieved by early election. We presented our position to Klaus Iohannis’, Vasile Blaga added.
Vasile Blaga says Romania’s only chance is to renew its political class through early election. ‘The early election will be organised under the new legislation. There are misleading public statements suggesting that the election would be organised under the old law and we would have again a total of 600 MPs’, Blaga said.
The PNL delegation consisted of PNL Co-Presidents Alina Gorghiu and Vasile Blaga, PNL Honorary President Mircea Ionescu Quintus and PNL First Vice President Catalin Predoiu, PNL’s Shadow Prime Minister.
As early as Wednesday, PNL asked for snap elections and called for talks between parties. PNL’s solution is however rejected by the leaders of the current ruling coalition.
Liviu Dragnea announced that PSD does not want snap elections, as proposed by PNL, because this would mean months of instability, stating that he waits to be called in for consultations in order to propose to the President a Premier that would have backing in Parliament.
He added that the current ruling coalition continues to hold the majority in Parliament and PSD still wants to govern.
UDMR wants Gov’t of technocrats and snap elections
The representatives of the Democratic Union of Hungarians in Romania (UDMR) held consultations with President Klaus Iohannis over the appointment of a new Premier. UDMR President Kelemen Hunor pointed out, after the consultations, that the only workable plan is that of a government of technocrats and snap elections.
“We don’t believe that a national unity government that includes all parliamentary parties would be a correct and honest answer to all the problems that have piled up and to all the dissatisfactions that are being expressed during this period, but a Government of technocrats would. A government with political stripes is also possible. Either one of these options would be a sacrificial Government. I believe that a political consensus over snap elections can be reached at this moment, and if the constitutional solution can also be found together with the Constitutional Court then a Government of technocrats would be a correct solution and an honest answer to all that is expressed by society during these days,” Kelemen Hunor stated.
UDMR’s delegation consisted of UDMR President Kelemen Hunor and UDMR MPs Marton Arpad and Tanczos Barna.
“We started today the first series of political consultations in order to look for the best solutions to this crisis that is much more than a government crisis, it’s about a new way of doing politics,” the Head of State said.
