A day before the consultations at the Cotroceni Palace, the Social Democrats met on Sunday to draft the short list of PM nominees. The list will be adopted on Monday, during the party’s Executive Committee meeting convened in the morning to decide the PM’s name which will subsequently be presented to President Klaus Iohannis.
Both names nominated last winter – Sevil Shaidehh and Sorin Grindeanu – were selected by Liviu Dragnea without consulting the party.
Unlike last year, when Liviu Dragnea personally assumed choosing the party’s PM nominee, this time around the PSD Premier promises to consult the party’s Executive Committee too.
The members of the extended leadership want, in their own turn, the next Premier to be one of them. A situation very different to the one in which the Social Democrats had just won the elections and were entrusting Liviu Dragnea with full powers, Digi24 informs.
Robert Cazanciuc, PSD Senator: “I didn’t take part in any discussion regarding a technocrat, it’s always been about a PSD member. The party has the whole legitimacy to nominate a Premier, it proved it in the latest Parliament meeting, in the joint meeting, that we have a majority.”
Robert Negoita, Bucharest District 3 Mayor: “Normally yes, preferably! People voted for PSD as far as I recall.”
There are other opinions too, however, right within the Executive Committee. Bucharest Mayor Gabriela Firea has already talked about the possibility that the future Premier may not necessarily be a party member.
Bucharest Mayor Gabriela Firea: “We have colleagues within the party too, and colleagues who collaborated with us in various stages, even though now they are no longer active members.”
Viorica Dancila and Mihai Fifor are among those rumoured to have a shot at the nomination, however they have both been cautious in confirming the hypotheses so far.
PSD MEP Viorica Dancila: “There are very many colleagues who are suitable for the PM’s office, for ministers, but I believe this must be doubled by the confidence they enjoy within the party.”
PSD leaders claim that nobody will rubberstamp Liviu Dragnea’s nomination for the PM’s office. Officially, the mandate for Cotroceni will be given on Monday morning, at the National Executive Committee meeting. The nomination will then be relayed to PSD and ALDE MPs and, at 3 p.m., the leaders of the ruling coalition will present their nomination to the President, during the consultations scheduled at the Cotroceni Palace.
Andronescu reproaches Dragnea with not discussing more within the party during the 6 months since elections
PSD President Liviu Dragnea’s mistake during the first six months of governance was the fact that he did not talk with the party more before nominating Sorin Grindeanu for the office of Premier, Ecaterina Andronescu (photo) stated. The PSD Vice President made the statement on Sunday, for Digi24 private television broadcaster.
“I believe he should have discussed more the issue of selecting the Premier, before nominating him. Maybe more ideas would have come from several quarters. Now we heard him [Liviu Dragnea] say that these topics will be widely and carefully debated,” Ecaterina Andronescu said.
Asked whether Liviu Dragnea is responsible for the failure registered after nominating Grindeanu for the PM’s office, Andronescu answered: “It’s difficult to say this extremely trenchantly. Why? Because basically all of us, the members of the Executive Committee, share the guilt. We all voted for Sorin Grindeanu. Mr Dragnea selected him, we all voted for him.”
“MPs who backed Grindeanu will vote new Gov’t. We have majority over what is needed”
PSD Senator Ecaterina Andronescu also stated for Digi24 that the MPs who did not take part in the no-confidence vote or who backed Sorin Grindeanu “for sentimental reasons” have announced they will vote to confirm the new PSD Government, so that the PSD has the needed majority for the confirmation vote.
Andronescu said that, at this moment, there is “categorically” a PSD-ALDE majority.
“And those who were persuaded or had sentimental reasons too, because they were members of a party branch whose member the Premier was, who didn’t come to vote, will come at the confirmation vote. (…) They announced they will vote for the Government,” the Senator said.
She said there are votes in Parliament “above what is needed to confirm a Government.”
Firea: PSD has “four or five” proposals for the Prime-Minister, party members, people we have worked with. There are also women
The Vice President of the Social Democrat Party (PSD) Gabriela Firea stated for Romania TV that the Social Democrats are considering “four or five” options for the PM, including party members, as well as “left oriented people” with whom PSD has collaborated.
“We wish to analyze several candidates for the PM. We want an honest person, a professional. He or she must know how to coordinate teams, to be respected. (…) By now, there are four or five proposals for the candidates, there are also party colleagues, left oriented people who have cooperated with us. There are also ladies on the list” the PSD Vice President stated.
She said she is glad that there are also women on the list, because they are “extremely efficient and organized”.
“I am sure we will choose with much more discernment this time. The next Prime-Minister will have to recover the delays. We must begin this year any project we want to finalize in the next year” she added.
