Why does Ilie Bolojan claim that he will not go to Parliament on Monday, after he was called by PSD and AUR to give explanations / What the prime minister asked

Prime Minister Ilie Bolojan, summoned to Parliament by PSD and AUR on Monday, will ask the Permanent Bureaus to reschedule the event “for a day that allows the harmonization of agendas”, the Government announced, Sunday evening, through a press release.

The government claims that Bolojan “received with interest the invitation of the PSD and AUR parliamentary groups” to go to Parliament on Monday at “Prime Minister's Hour”, but his agenda is “very busy”.

“Parliament is a fundamental institution of democracy, which must be respected as such, and a civilized and serious debate on issues of public interest can only benefit the citizens of Romania. However, Monday's agenda is very busy for Prime Minister Ilie Bolojan, dedicated almost entirely to the signing of the contract with the Rheinmetall company and the discussions regarding the SAFE Program, of major importance for Romania's economy and defense capabilities,” the statement reads.

Ilie Bolojan will request that “Prime Minister's Hour” take place on another day.

“With the assurance of his full availability, Prime Minister Ilie Bolojan will ask the Permanent Offices of the Parliament to reschedule the “Prime Minister's Hour” for a day that will allow for the harmonization of agendas”, the Government concluded.

PSD had called Ilie Bolojan to the Parliament, on Monday, during “Prime Minister's Hour”, through a request approved last Thursday by the leadership of the Chamber of Deputies, led by Sorin Grindeanu, and with the vote of the AUR.

What the PSD leader said

Grindeanu, who denied that there was a rapprochement between his party and the AUR, said on Friday that the social democrats called the liberal prime minister to Parliament so that the Romanians could find out “what is the country plan” after the resizing of the American troops in Romania “and what the Government of Romania proposes for the next period to keep the same level of security”.

“I called him not for me (…), I called him for the Romanians, to explain to the Romanians what is the Government's public policy in this area, the one that concerns national security (…). Regarding the majorities, don't be angry with me, but I think that this is an issue that some have thrown out precisely to hide something, the fact that in many areas nothing is being done in the Government”, declared the interim president of the PSD, Sorin Grindeanu.

Nicușor Dan's reaction

Asked by reporters, on Sunday, what he thinks the prime minister should do, the president answered: “I want to speak in a more general way. Any kind of debate in society is very good. At certain moments we ourselves should not amplify some things that can harm Romania. This is my general observation.”

Then referring to the US decision to reduce the number of American troops in Romania, Nicușor Dan said that “it is a gesture with a certain symbolism, but in no case is it a question of affecting security”.

“The most important thing in the future relationship between Romania and the United States is a much, much increased economic presence of American companies in Romania. This is the big stake of the visit to the United States and, therefore, it must be prepared from an economic point of view very well”, Nicușor Dan also declared, on Sunday, after participating in the USR event to launch the candidacy of Cătălin Drula in the elections for the Capital City Hall.

The Prime Minister's schedule for Monday

The government announced that Ilie Bolojan will have the following program on Monday:

The reception, at the Victoria Palace, of Mr. Armin Papperger, CEO of the Rheinmetall AG Company

• Time 11:15 Participation in the signing ceremony of a collaboration document with representatives of Rheinmetall AG
• Time 11:30 Participation in the meeting of the two delegations – Prime Minister Ilie Bolojan, the Minister of Economy, Digitalization, Entrepreneurship and Tourism, Radu Miruță and the Head of the Chancellery of the Prime Minister, Mihai Jurca, are participating on behalf of the Government of Romania
• Time 12:00 Press statements by Prime Minister Ilie Bolojan and CEO Rheinmetall AG, Armin Papperger
• Hours 14:00 – 17:00 Discussions with representatives of the Rheinmetall Company regarding cooperation within the SAFE Program