Wednesday's consultations between President Nicușor Dan and the parliamentary parties begin under the tensions between the pro-European political formations expected to form the executive future. At the same time, the PSD keeps the suspense regarding its participation in the future government, thus strengthening its position in the following negotiations.
The head of state is waiting for all parties at Cotroceni photo Inquam Photos / George Călin
The new head of state convened the parliamentary parties to an informal consultations marathon for the formation of the future executive. The announcement brings a series of contradictory statements between parties. However, the only common denominator seems to be discussing the vision regarding the future government and the measures he must take. In other words, all the parties are waiting to see exactly what the expectations of the new president regarding the government program are. Especially PSD. If last winter USR was the party that conditioned the participation in government, now the social-democrats are the ones that impose the “red lines”.
The open mandate but with conditions
PSD mandated the interim leader Sorin Grindeanu to bear discussions with both the president and the other parties, with an open mandate. “The PSD will go with all the opening to the discussions at the Cotroceni Palace with President Nicuşor Dan. We are not far from gold, we are a constructive party, which has solutions. We will put these solutions on the table table and then see what the president's reaction will be, the reaction of the other parties and only then can we reach discussions about people and functions ”, said the new party spokesman Florin Manole.
The open mandate of the PSD also comes in the absence of a decision regarding the participation in governance, which gives the social democrats, in the context in which the party's entry into the future executive provides the necessary parliamentary majority. The interim leader, Sorin Grindeanu, also emphasized the red lines of the party: underfunding the local authorities and reducing investments in infrastructure. In the statements of the leader, an older theme of the Social Democrats, which has also generated controversies between the PSD and the PNL: the introduction of progressive taxation, a red line of PNL so far.
In the last days, several contradictory statements have started in the last days regarding the presence of PSD in government. At the same time, the other parties drew attention to the reconsibility in front of the citizens, a context in which former minister Mihai Fifor transmitted in a Facebook post that “PSD is a mature, responsible and willing party to make heavy decisions when the national interest requires it. But it no longer makes compromises that affect the development of Romania or the standard of living of the citizens ”, Giving assurances that the social-democrats will support, “If this is the case, the installation of a functional government and the good measures for the country, even from the opposition”.
“History shows us that we have a duty to explore all working hypotheses, including the possibility of constructive opposition that does not equate even with a run of responsibility, on the contrary. Unlike other colleagues, who may not be politically involved between 1996 and 2000, our current interim president, Sorin Grindeanu, knows those times from within.“, PSD Dragoș Benea also said in his turn.
At the threshold of negotiations appear the attacks between the parties. Former Minister of Labor, Marius Budăi, criticized the former USR-PNL government, recalling that the 9.4% of GDP ceiling was introduced in the PNRR during their term.
Ilie Bolojan, the “Open” proposal for the Premier
Another proposal that stands in the beginning of the negotiations is that the liberal Ilie Bolojan is the one who ensures the leadership of the future executive, this being the prime minister wanted by President Nicușor Dan, but in an attempt to bring the PSD to the government, the proposal does not remain nailed. “He is the person who is expected by the Romanians, is a credible person, a person who has shown in public life that he is able to make these reforms ”, The Liberal Adrian Veștea, who will participate in consultations, explained publicly.
“The mandate is open to the negotiation team, but nothing has been changed in our strategy and our political program. For us, the unique share is an essential element of our political program,” points out the leader of PNL deputies Gabriel Andronache in a statement for “Adevărul”.
In parallel, USR comes with proposals for “Reducing unnecessary expenses” and “Stopping the waste from public money ”, “Reducing the bureaucracy for entrepreneurs” and “Acceleration of the absorption of European funds ”. At the same time the party recalls that PNRR is “a plan designed by USR ”. The leader of the USR deputies, Ionuț Mosteanu, emphasizes that the political formation “Don't go to negotiations with portfolii lists“, The interest being for the direction of the future executive and not for functions:”So far, the USR has not discussed names or portfolios. It's simple: first we talk what we have to do, then who can deliver. This is what a responsible government looks like ”, emphasizes Ionuț Mosteanu in a statement for “Adevărul”.
“The official position of the entire USR political group is to have strong solutions for rebalancing the state budget and according to the deficit combat. This means certain, that there are both variants, decreased expenses and increasing income. But that does not mean that we are talking about an increase in the state income”also explains the leader of the senators, Stefan Pălărie, for “Adevărul”, showing that the discussion can start from combating tax evasion, including through digitalization measures.
In the context of the red lines mentioned by social-democrats, the interim leader of the USR, Dominic Fritz, stressed on Tuesday, in press statements, that “It is not the time to go into negotiations with red lines.”
Gold refuses consultations with President Nicușor Dan
In the program of consultations announced by the Presidential Administration are the sovereign parties, they can also. The formation led by George Simion communicated before establishing the schedule that he will not participate in the consultations convened by President Nicușor Dan.
Now, however, Gold comes with a condition for participation and asks the president to apologize for the statements in the presidential campaign in which he understood that he wants a government with the pro-European parties: “You have stated, without restraint, that in the event that you will become president, you will only collaborate with certain parliamentary parties, deliberately excluding formations that have received the confidence of millions of Romanian citizens. This position not only violates the spirit of the Constitution, which forces you to the impartiality and the representation of the whole people, Mediator, but an instrument of party interests ”, writes Dan Tănasa, the spokesman of gold, in a letter open to Nicușor Dan.
