RSS
Meeting of European socialists in Sibiu, without Dragnea's party
Frans Timmermans, the present first vice president of the European Commission and PES candidate for President of the European Commission participated in a meeting of European socialists on Thursday morning, în Sibiu, when the summit of EU leaders took place. The meeting of European socialists was an informal one, some of them being present for the Sibiu Summit.
PSD (Social-democrat party – at rule) leaders did not participate in the meeting of European socialists, according to PES sources.
“Informal meetings between leaders of our political family will take place on the morning before the Council, but since PES froze relations with PSD, the latter will not participate in traditional pre-Council meetings,” according to a representative of European socialists.
But Victor Negrescu, the president of PES Activists, declared on Thursday that PES leaders requested meetings both with the prime minister and with other PSD officials, but they did not take place because the EU summit was politicized by EPP, PNL and Iohannis. In that context, PSD representatives could not participate in the scheduled meetings, Negrescu pointed out.
He also said that PSD representatives were in contact with PES about that topic.
“It is obvious that the European right politicized the European Union removing it from its values,” Negrescu added.
On April 11, Serghei Stanisev, the president of PSE announced that PES would take into account freezing relations with PSD until discussing the status of PES member in June, in case the government does not clarify its engagement for the rule of law and it does not follow EC recommendations. He added that until then, no PES even would be organized next to PSD.
Stanisev's statements came shortly after Timmermans' warning that PSD risked to be excluded from PES because of the situation of the rule of law.
The social democrats answered, referring to the possibility of freezing relations between PES and PSD, that the treatment of some PES colleagues was unacceptable and they could expect attacks from political opponents, but not from their own political family. Liviu Dragnea also said he had seen the attitude of come PES colleagues “showing their muscles that they would freeze relations with PSD,” pointing out that there is no such thing in PES statute and he did not intend to answer them.