The chairman of the National Liberal Party (PNL), Florin Citu, declared on Tuesday that liberals will try to form a majority after the vote on Wednesday in the plenum of Parliament for the Government formula proposed by Dacian Ciolos.
“PNL will try to make a majority around PNL after the vote of tomorrow. We will put all options on the table, solutions for this winter, we will see then what the answer will be. (…) The protocol, if you look at it, is simple: PNL has the position of PM in this coalition,” Citu said, in Parliament, after a meeting with the elected liberals.
According to him, negotiations take place all the time.
Asked if he is willing to take a step back for forming the coalition, Citu replied: “I do not understand this ‘one step behind’. We all must go forward here, now. We all need to take responsibility for this governing. PNL has some decisions of PNL, they are PNL’s decisions. No other party can censor PNL’s decisions.”
He was also asked if he estimates that this crisis will be extended and he will remain PM until spring.
“I hope not, but if this will be the political decision, you will see that we will be able to manage this period. We have the resources, we also have this plan on the table in order to make sure that Romanians do not suffer because of the irresponsible political class,” the PNL chairman said, according to Agerpres.
I requested decency, professionalism from colleagues at Ciolos Gov’t ministers’ hearings
The chairman of the National Liberal Party (PNL), Florin Citu, has stated on Tuesday that he requested “decency and professionalism” from the party’s MPs during the hearings of the ministers proposed as part of the Ciolos Government, mentioning that the Liberals decided to abstain from voting.
“We discussed the hearings today. I requested decency and professionalism from my colleagues during today’s hearings. The decision regarding the vote was made last night in the BEx [Executive Bureau]: we will abstain from voting for the candidacies of these ministers in the government. I asked my colleagues to come with clear arguments,” said Citu after the meeting with Liberal MPs.
He claimed that the governing programme of the Ciolos Government does not allot 2 pct of the GDP for defense, “so a first infringement of our relation with NATO and the promise that we have to increase or to maintain this percentage of the GDP. It’s lower than 2 pct.”
The Liberal leader reiterated that it is the responsibility of Prime Minister-designate Dacian Ciolos to gather a majority and mentioned that the PNL MPs will attend the session of the Joint Chambers of Parliament, but will not vote.
“There are several strategies, but all solutions are on the table and we will do all that’s important for Romanians, in order to resolve this crisis, and for the PNL,” Citu added.
Asked if the option of early elections is taken into account, he answered: “All options are on the table.”
Florin Citu was questioned if there is a chance for reconciliation with the Save Romania Union (USR), given that PNL will abstain from voting in the committees.
“We are showing maturity and showing a step or an opening, because we won’t vote against. The PNL MPs won’t get up from their benches and won’t go to put a token against the government as has happened on the other side, but from our side we show that there is openness, we show that we want to overcome this moment. What was in the past is in the past. Let’s solve the problem,” Citu stated.
The PNL chair excluded the possibility for the Liberals to have another proposal for Prime Minister instead of him.
“PNL had a congress not even a month ago. It elected its leadership with a majority. This is the will of PNL members. No other party can censor the decisions of the PNL. We have BEx decisions in this sense, we have decisions of the PNL,” Citu also said it.
He mentioned that, if he sees openness on the part of the USR, he will request the PNL leadership withdraw the decision by which it decided the Liberals will not form a majority with this party.
The ministers proposed by Prime Minister-designate Dacian Ciolos are heard, on Tuesday, in the parliamentary select committees.
