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PM-designate Orban: I am confident partners who contributed to success of censure motion will support investiture of Gov't
The Prime Minister-designate, Ludovic Orban, voiced confidence on Wednesday that the partners who contributed to the success of the censure motion would support the investiture of his Cabinet in Parliament, because otherwise Viorica Dancila remains in power.
"Today we are having discussions with the delegation representing the PMP [the People's Movement Party]. (...) We have discussions scheduled with all the partners who have contributed to the success of the censure motion and we will discuss with each of them. I am confident that the partners who have contributed to the success of the censure motion will support the government's investiture in Parliament because otherwise Viorica Dancila remains in power and I see no serious reasons for not supporting the government's investiture, all the more so since some of them have been collaborating since the beginning of the legislature and we are practically in the Opposition, and with the others we have been working together for a long time and they saw who we are and what we can do. I see absolutely no obstacle in generating the majority needed for the government's investiture," said Orban, at the Parliament Palace.
He added that, for now, he "is not taking into account anything" about the participation of another party in the government alongside the PNL.
The prime minister-designate announced that he will have an official discussion with the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats (ALDE) delegation on Thursday.
"We are open to a dialogue, to finding the best solutions for Romania to have a competent government, to benefit from a parliamentary majority and to do what is necessary for the country, also to vacate as soon as possible the government seat, the headquarters of the ministries, by those who are today in control and who have been dismissed by the censure motion and who, over the last stretch, are creating extremely serious problems for the future government, either by committing expenses for which there are no resources, or by signing contracts without fulfilling the legal basis, or by blocking contracts, or by initiating large-scale competitions to put into office PSD politicians, named on interim position through the back door. These things are happening now, and I think it is vital for Romania that a government of the current Opposition can be installed, in the shortest time possible, a government to be supported by the political parties that contributed to the success of the censure motion and a government to tackle the big problems that Romania faces today," the Liberal leader said.
According to Orban, negotiation teams were formed at the level of the Chamber of Deputies and the Senate, which will address individually both parliamentarians from the PSD, "who do not like the serious deviation of the PSD leadership and who could vote for what is good for Romania."
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Chairman of the People's Movement Party (PMP), Eugen Tomac, stated on Wednesday, after the meeting with the Prime Minister designate, Ludovic Orban, that the decision regarding the vote to support the investiture of the new government will be taken in the political structures of the party, mentioning, however, that he found openness to the problems that he raised during the dialogue with the Liberal leader. Asked if during discussions the possibility of PMP joining a coalition with the National Liberal Party (PNL) was explored, Eugen Tomac said no.
"At the moment, we are in the situation in which we presented our objectives and what the PMP's demands would be in order to support a government, because beyond political ego, beyond political objectives, Romania today needs a government," Tomac maintained.
Asked how he comments the fact that the chairman of the Hungarian Democratic Union of Romania (UDMR) said they would not support a government that would include PMP ministers, Tomac mentioned that he did not join the discussions with the request to join governing.
"We did not come with the request to join government, I only said what our objectives are and what we expect from the future cabinet. If we are invited, if this subject exists in the next discussion, we will see, but for us it is important to overcome this moment, to give the country a government," the PMP chairman stated.
According to Tomac, the meeting with the Prime Minister designate, Ludovic Orban, was "very good", adding that he found a lot of openness on the topics that are of interest to the PMP.
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The Alliance of Liberals and Democrats (ALDE) may back in Parliament the investiture of the Orban Government, but not unconditionally, the party's leader, Calin Popescu-Tariceanu said on Wednesday, adding that the conditions include maintaining the flat tax, continuing the large infrastructure projects, no emergency ordinances on Justice and no People Movement's Party (PMP) representatives in the Cabinet. Asked about the special section for the magistrates' investigation, Tariceanu stressed that ALDE will not accept an emergency ordinance on Justice.
On the other hand, the ALDE leader stressed that, as long as there are political solutions for the formation of a Government and a majority, he does not see what would be the point of early elections, "other than prolonging the current Government's agony."
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The Save Romania Union (USR) candidate for the presidential election Dan Barna said in Roman, Neamt County, on Wednesday that the future government has to pledge to hold an early parliamentary election.
The USR leader said that in the coming days, when he returns to Bucharest, he will meet Prime Minister-designate Ludovic Orban, as he did not discuss with him after his nomination by President Iohannis.
"There is one more aspect that I want to be very clear about: this government, and as I understood from the statement of the president in which he nominated Ludovic Orban, is a caretaker government, with a short tenure, a government that has to pledge as its ultimate goal holding early elections. Once again, the prospect of staying a year until the end of 2020, trying to fix this disastrous Social Democratic Party (PSD) government will only restore the PSD's chance of getting blood through its veins cheeks and returning to govern Romania. Or this is precisely the disaster we have to stop repeating itself because it would be the fourth, fifth time that we would make the same mistake, hoping to get another result," said Barna.
At the same time, he reiterated that USR will not support the Orban government unless the four demands are endorsed in Parliament: two-round mayoral elections, a law prohibiting the election of criminal convicts to public offices, Parliament's consultation for Romania's pick for European commissioner and the repeal of the law on compensatory appeal.
Barna said that these laws must be adopted before the new government's endorsement vote in order for USR lawmaker to back the Orban government.