Liberal leader Florin Citu said that negotiations for mustering parliamentary support for the new government carry on both with the Social Democratic Party (PSD) and the Save Romania Union (USR), and voiced hope that another meeting with the USR leaders could take place on Wednesday to decide how the ruling coalition could be restored.
“There are ongoing negotiations with both PSD and USR for support in the Romanian Parliament. I hope that we have another discussion with USR today, if possible, I know that Mr. [PM-designate] Nicolae Ciuca had phone calls with both the USR and PSD leaders, the National Liberal Party is one hundred percent behind Mr. Ciuca, we’ll see what the conclusion is,” Florin Citu said today when asked if the Liberals have reached an agreement with PSD regarding the formation of the new government.
As for a new, possibly “more flexible” mandate given by the Liberals to the Prime Minister-designate, Citu said that Nicolae Ciuca has a mandate to negotiate with the political forces and can “turn to the party to ask for more flexibility when there is something that requires adjustment.”
“There must be a discussion with the USR, we must look where attempts to restore this coalition are going and then, of course, we can go to the party to ask for flexibility on that option, but at this moment things are the other way round, as Mr. Prime Minister-designate Nicolae Ciuca does not only have the willingness, but also the authorization to discuss with the USR. Of course, if necessary and if the USR agrees, he will be accompanied by a PNL delegation headed by me, there is no a problem here, but we need to see if USR would accept this variant and after this discussion we’ll see how we can rebuild the coalition. We must have this face-to-face, courageous, intrepid and honest encounter to tell each other what we have to say and then see how we can restore the coalition,” said Citu, according to Agerpres.
Asked if there have been discussions with the PSD about “sharing” some portfolios with them, Citu replied: “I don’t even know how many times the PSD has said this year that they don’t want to govern,” and added that a revival of the defunct Social Liberal Union is not a project at the moment.
Citu voiced his belief that the PSD actually doesn’t want to negotiate anything, but tries to push things its way. As for snap elections, he pointed out that this could also be a variant, but that the relevant decision is solely for President Klaus Iohannis to take.
USR spokesman: We can meet the moment PNL statutory fora that it wants to restore the coalition and to drop negotiations with the PSD
Spokesman of the Save Romania Union (USR) Ionut Mosteanu said that the moment the statutory fora of the National Liberal Party (PNL) sanction the Liberals’ decision to restore the coalition and drop negotiations with the Social Democratic Party (PSD), the Union’s representatives are willing to start talks in this regard.
“USR has so far received no invitation from PNL and UDMR [the Hungarian Democratic Union of Romania] to sit down for talks to restore the coalition. PNL’s public decision is to seek support for a minority government around Nicolae Ciuca. This is the decision communicated by the PNL, the PNL Chairman and the Liberal leaders, they have repeatedly made this public. The moment the PNL decides in its statutory fora that it wants to restore the coalition and to drop negotiations with the PSD, then we can meet. Of course, we’ll move fast and come sit at the table to look at ways to restore this coalition. We need a calm discussion, dispassionate negotiations to set the priorities in the coalition,” Mosteanu said in a press statement at the House of Parliament.
The USR spokesman mentioned that a reform calendar must also be established during these negotiations and the way of making decisions in the coalition needs to be analyzed.
He also underscored USR’s support in Parliament for projects such as the green Covid certificate or the law for capping and compensating energy prices.
Compiled from Agerpres
