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Presidential candidate Viorica Dancila invited mass-media to an "open dialogue"
Social Democratic Party (PSD) candidate to presidency Viorica Dancila has invited mass-media representatives to an "open dialogue" on Tuesday. Access was free to all mass-media representatives designated by the institutions they represent.
She has stated that President Klaus Iohannis fears "authentic dialogue," as he could not explain the five years while he has been Romania's President, mentioning that she will present a report on her activity as prime minister.
"If we have, if we have had until now a president who divided Romanians, today we see a president who believes only one part of the media deserves to participate in a debate and another part doesn't. Regardless if the media appreciates you or it is hostile, I believe one must have a correct approach towards the media. I kept hoping we would have a confrontation, a confrontation showing our responsibility, showing respect for Romanians. It seems that Klaus Iohannis refuses this confrontation, as he wants only a debate with those he agrees and in front of those he accepts, thus defying the Romanians who voted for him as well as those who didn't vote for him because the president must be the president of all Romanians," Dancila told a press conference organised at Parliament.
The PSD Chairwoman added she would present a report on her activity as prime minister. "Although I see he doesn't want this confrontation, I see a coward and arrogant man, a man who cannot explain the five years while he has been Romania's president. I do my duty as a candidate and I will come with a comparative report, an assessment of my activity as prime minister in one year and nine months and I believe each of us can also relate to the five years of activity of Klaus Iohannis," Dancila added.
She has conveyed during a press conference held at the Palace of Parliament on Tuesday several questions to his contestant President Klaus Iohannis, arguing that, during his tenure, he didn't keep the promises regarding the removal of the head of state's immunity and Romania joining Schengen.
She stated that the current head of state promised he would give up the immunity provided by the presidential office, however, he didn't organise a referendum in this regard.
The PSD leader brought to mind that, at the Summit in Sibiu, Iohannis promised that Romania would join Schengen, and she asked him whether he assumes this failure of foreign policy, taking into account that Romania meets all the technical conditions.
According to the Social Democrat leader, Iohannis has came out "every time" with "an extremist" discourse and said that the PSD should disappear.
Dancila also reproached the head of state's interventions in justice when the latter asked for the resignation of the Directorate for Investigating Organized Crime and Terrorism (DIICOT) head, as well as the dissolution of the Special Section for Investigating Crimes in Justice (SIIJ).
În her opinion, Finance Minister Florin Citu's statements regarding the budget deficit led to the increase of the euro exchange rate, mentioning that the ministers of the Orban Cabinet are not there to complain about "the difficult inheritance", but to find solutions.
"We would have closed within the deficit limit by the end of the year. These allegations, if you take a look in 2018, have been made precisely by the same people - Mr. Citu, Mr. Iohannis - who were saying back then that we don't keep within the deficit target, that we would exceed 4 percent. And, last year, we closed at 2.96 percent. The same thing is happening now. I believe that they should find methods and find solutions in order to govern well and close within the deficit target. All these things: black hole, two budgets, harm us as a country, harm Romanians because the statements made by Mr. Citu led to the increase of the euro rate. What this thing means: increase in bills, increase in bank interests, " Dancila told a press conference held at the Palace of Parliament.
She added that the ministers of the Orban Government should have another approach. "They went there as minister or prime minister, they aren't there to complain about the difficult inheritance, they have to find solutions which Romanians expect. If they are not capable, they should let others to do this thing. Therefore, all these things aren't in accordance with the reality. (...) Why do the ministers of the Orban Cabinet refuse to [discuss] with the ministers of the Dancila Cabinet, with the former Labour Minister of the Dancila Cabinet so that people see where the problems are? They refuse these things because they disinform and come out in the public space to hide their incompetence," Dancila also said.
Viorica Dancila also stated on Tuesday that she never took justice by assault, but she in fact "corrected" things, when the Justice Ministers tried to intervene in the justice system.
"I won't take responsibility for this. Because you have never seen Prime Minister Dancila taking justice by assault. I have never taken justice by assault. You should address this question to President Iohannis. I never intervened in the justice system. I even corrected things when the Minister of Justice tried to intervene in the justice system. For what I believe is politics and justice should remain separated. Justice must be done by specialists, by magistrates. As long as we don't understand this, we cannot speak of justice independence. The President too, he shouldn't intervene in the justice system, for he must be a model when it comes to his relation with the justice system," said Dancila, when asked if she took responsibility for "PSD's assault of justice."
About her standpoint in relation to the modifications brought to the Criminal Code, Dancila said PSD is a democratic party and there is no "dictatorship" inside the PSD, meaning that the decisions are made by the statutory forum. "You shouldn't ask me about what happened in Parliament. I am not a member of Parliament," she said.
Regarding the fact that she endorsed Ordinance 13 of 2017, Dancila said that, as far as she knew, there were no legal issues related to that Ordinance. "I don't think that an Ordinance like that would be timely now. We had a referendum saying the Government can no longer issue emergency ordinances in the justice field," added Dancila.
In respect to the approaches she made as a MEP regarding ordinance 13, Dancila said she had to explain what was the situation in the country.
"I was not the PM back then, I was a MEP. I had to explain what happened, because there were so many attacks from Monica Macovei, Cristian Preda who presented an image of the country that wasn't honourable for them to present. (...) Regardless of what happens in the country, we shouldn't take all these problems outside," said Dancila.
She still thinks moving the Romanian Embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem would be the right thing to do, but she would ask for the opinion of the relevant institutions before making this decision, if she became President.
"I said that I agreed with moving our embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, according to the in force legislation and in agreement with the other political forces. However, I would make an analysis first and ask for the opinion of all relevant institutions, but my opinion is that - and I reiterate now what I said a while ago - our strategic partner, which ensures our security, the USA, moved its embassy, I believe that we too can have the same initiative and move our embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem. I believe that each state has this option of establishing its own Capital City," said Dancila, when asked if, as a President, she would sign a memorandum on the movement of the Romanian Embassy to Jerusalem.
She added that she will ask again for the opinion of the relevant institutions about this topic.
"I had a memorandum by which I asked for the opinion of the ministries, of all institutions. But that was some time ago, so it would be normal to see what is the situation at the respective time, which is why I guarantee that I won't break any legal provisions and I will observe the law regarding this measure too, but I will have the same approach," said Dancila.
In the closing, Viorica Dancila stated on Tuesday that among her priorities if she is elected President of Romania will be having a referendum on immunity, joining Schengen, obtaining the visa waiver for the United States of America, and that the first visit she will pay abroad as head of state will be to the Republic of Moldova.
"My first priority is to have a referendum on immunity. I want to do what President Klaus Iohannis promised and didn't do. A second priority would be Schengen. A third priority would be related to the visas for the United States of America. A fourth priority would be the Mechanism for Cooperation and Verification, for I believe this is an unfair approach. There shouldn't be European decisions that are applied to just two member states, this means double standard. And I want Romania to sit at the decision making table, and I don't want to see first class and second class member states. We already have in Romania first class and second class citizens, divided like this by President Klaus Iohannis," said Dancila, at a press conference held at the Palace of Parliament.
She added that she wants "foreign policy based on dialogue and cooperation with as many states as possible."
In what concerns domestic affairs, Dancila said she won't accept any austerity policy in Romania.
The PSD leader has also said that, in case she becomes President, she will have an "institutional relation" with the Government headed by Ludovic Orban and that she will be a President who mediates, and her first visit abroad will be to the Republic of Moldova.