Opposition parties will table the no-confidence motion on Friday, so that the document – signed by 163 MPs – will be read during the joint plenary meeting of the Legislative next Monday and will be put to the vote next Thursday.
“This no-confidence motion is an awaited motion and a necessary motion for Romanian society and for the current situation our country finds itself in. (…) There are elements that give confidence in and somehow hope for the result of this motion. To an equal extent, this no-confidence motion must be debated and we must have room for debate in society, it should not be buried through a PSD artifice, and from this standpoint we will register the motion on Friday in order to be able to have its first reading on Monday and then to have the vote on Thursday,” Save Romania Union (USR) President and House lawmaker Dan Barna stated.
He added that there has been coordination among Opposition parties in recent weeks.
“The Dragnea-Dancila Government may fall, it may be replaced. It’s all a question of political will. The Opposition parties have demonstrated that they have tenacity, consistency, professional people, political will, and starting tomorrow a governance programme can be put on Romania’s table, so that each Romanian would feel that the Government is deciding and managing for them, not for a small group of felons and persons without discernment,” PNL’s House whip Raluca Turcan stated.
In his turn, Popular Movement Party (PMP) President and House lawmaker Eugen Tomac stated that the Dancila Government must be toppled because the draft 2019 budget does not earmark “one cent, one leu” for the Pitesti-Sibiu, Bucharest-Brasov and Iasi-Targu Mures highways.
“We had to pass a law in Parliament, forcing the Government to respond to national priorities concerning the Iasi-Targu Mures highway, in order to connect Moldavia to Europe via a highway,” Tomac pointed out.
PM Dancila: Lodging censure motion before taking over Presidency of EU Council, not good signal
Prime Minister Viorica Dancila declared that she is not nervous the cabinet she is leading in regards to the motion of no confidence that the Opposition intends to lodge on Friday and highlighted that such an action, two weeks prior to Romania’s taking on the Presidency of the Council of the European Union, “gives out a signal which I believe does not do us any good.”
“No, I am not nervous, because I have faith in the support of the entire coalition, I have the trust of my colleagues, I have confidence in responsibility. Because, let us not forget, lodging the motion is an act that the Opposition can resort to, it is their right, it is a legitimate right and that is what they are doing. But let us not forget that this motion is being tabled two weeks prior to taking on the presidency, which sends out a signal which I believe does not do us any good. But, very well, they wish to submit it. It is their right. I repeat: I am not nervous because I firmly believe that this Government, supported by the governing coalition, has led the country in a good direction,” Dancila said in Parliament, on Wednesday.
Asked what matters to her, the personal or political will, Dancila replied: “Both. But as you know I am part of a political party, I am the executive chair of PSD [Social Democratic Party, major at rule, ed.n.], at the same time I must have the certainty that the decisions I make are the right ones and I believe in them.”
Orban: I’ve tasked PNL’s whips to finalise the text of the no-confidence motion alongside our Opposition partners and to table it this week. I believe all those aware that Dragnea’s reign must end will support it
National Liberal Party (PNL) leader Ludovic Orban announced on Tuesday that he has tasked the party’s whips to finalise the text of the no-confidence motion alongside their Opposition partners and to table it this week, opining that all those aware that Liviu Dragnea’s reign must end will support it. He gave assurances that the National Liberal Party is ready at any moment to take the responsibility of governing, having an updated governance programme and a candidate for the Prime Minister’s office, the question being whether a parliamentary majority can be formed to support such a governance formula.
“I have tasked the National Liberal Party’s whips to finalise the text of the no-confidence motion alongside the rest of the Opposition partners and to table the no-confidence motion this week, so that by the end of this week the no-confidence motion would be tabled and the procedures for replacing this Government that is doing immense harm to Romania would start,” Orban stated after PNL’s Executive Bureau meeting.
He argued that, in PNL’ s opinion, “the Dancila Government is the worst Government in the history of Romania and it must be replaced as rapidly as possible by the best Government possible for Romania, by a Government that would have the ability to exercise in the best conditions the presidency of the Council of the European Union and that would bring maximum benefits from our mission to ensure leadership at European level for 6 months, starting on January 1st.”
Ludovic Orban expressed his conviction that all National Liberal Party MPs will be present and will vote for the no-confidence motion, that all Opposition MPs will do the same, as will those ruling coalition MPs who understand very well that Romania cannot embarrass itself in the face of the entire EU.
In what concerns the UDMR, he said it would seem fair to him for the UDMR – which is PNL’s partner within the European People’s Party – “to abstain from remaining on the side of the socialists and of ALDE, even more so since the PSD and ALDE are in fact the pariahs of their political families and are obviously trampling every principle that lays at the basis of the EU’s functioning.”
“Among UDMR’s voters too there is deep dissatisfaction with this Government and almost a complete lack of confidence in PSD leader Liviu Dragnea,” Orban said.
In what concerns Pro Romania leader Victor Ponta’s statement that he has not been approached for talks on supporting the no-confidence motion, the PNL President said: “I believe all those aware that Liviu Dragnea’s reign must end will support this no-confidence motion.”
Asked whether the Liberals have a candidate for the Premier’s office if the no-confidence motion is adopted, Orban said: “The National Liberal Party is ready at any moment to take the responsibility of governing. We have an updated governance programme, we have a candidate for the Prime Minister’s office, and the question is whether a parliamentary majority that would support such a Government formula can be formed. Meanwhile, so as not get ahead of ourselves, let’s focus on collecting votes, so that the no-confidence motion would pass. Any subsequent formula will be born constitutionally, as part of the negotiations that will take place at the Cotroceni Palace, negotiations that will be organised by the Romanian President in line with the Constitution.”
Kelemen Hunor on no-confidence motion announced by Opposition: For time being we’re only discussing theories
Democratic Union of Hungarians in Romania (UDMR) President Kelemen Hunor stated on Wednesday, referring to the Opposition’s announcement regarding the no-confidence motion, that until the document is tabled “only theories” can be discussed and “for the time being there is no alternative.” He added that the question is whether “the Opposition wants to govern or not.”
“The no-confidence motion has been announced since September. Eugen Tomac had it written as early as September. A no-confidence motion doesn’t exist yet. They said they will table it on the 10th, on the 12th, then they didn’t. We haven’t seen the text. It hasn’t been tabled for the time being. On the other hand, I had a discussion with Eugen Tomac, Dan Barna, but I haven’t had any discussion with Ludovic Orban,” UDMR leader Kelemen Hunor stated.
He added that he only “crossed paths” with the leader of PNL but they did not discuss the no-confidence motion.
“We crossed paths at the CDU Congress. We shook hands, said hello and that’s all. We haven’t discussed the no-confidence motion at all. This doesn’t mean we won’t discuss it if he contacts me. I’ve discussed with colleagues from the PNL on the hallways, within the plenum. The question stands – does the Opposition really want to govern? There are questions that need answers – who is the Premier, which is the Government. The country wants to know what direction you will take. I’ve asked Mr Tomac too – who is the Premier? He said – the Liberals should say that. I’ve asked Dan Barna what the governance programme is, but I didn’t receive an answer. I didn’t receive an answer from the PNL. I have the impression that this is what’s happening here: one motion each session. Maybe they come up with Ludovic, Dan Barna, with Eugen Tomac… And in these conditions, everyone admitted that they need another 52 votes. Where do you get those? UDMR has 30. If they are convinced things will be going extremely well after the no-confidence motion of course there will be votes. Who would try to form a majority, because we don’t have time. At this moment there isn’t a majority, not with us, not without us, not with
