Alliance for Government

The Social Democratic Party and the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats, who together hold majority in Parliament, will also collaborate at government level

Roxana Vasile, 20.12.2016, 13:53

Romania’s elected senators and deputies were expected on Monday at the Parliament Palace to carry out all the necessary formalities needed for them to take over office. The most diligent were, as expected, the new comers. Somehow nervous and unfamiliar with the rules and procedures regarding Parliament’s functioning, but with big plans as to the bills they will have the opportunity to set forth, they filed the necessary documents. Alongside colleagues with seniority in office, on Tuesday they were called to take part in the plenary sessions of the two chambers.

In parallel, after a new round of consultations to be held on Wednesday and Thursday between Romania’s president Klaus Iohannis and the parties represented in Parliament, Romanians will learn from the head of state who the new Prime Minister is going to be. On Monday, the Social Democratic Party and the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats, which together hold majority in Parliament, signed a governing protocol under which they officially established that they would collaborate both at Parliament and government level. The president of the Social Democratic Party Liviu Dragnea briefly presented some of the provisions stipulated in the document.

Liviu Dragnea: “This is a protocol whose main goals are to ensure citizens’ welfare and high living standards, as well as the proper observance of their rights and freedoms. The Governing Coalition for Development and Democracy will propose a single candidate for the office of Prime Minister, agreed by the two parties forming the coalition and will support, through voting, a coalition government, made up of ministries proportionally designated by the Social Democratic Party and the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats.”

As regards the name of the future Prime Minister, the announcement is to be made after consultations with the head of state, said in turn the co-president of the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats Calin Popescu Tariceanu.

Calin Popescu Tariceanu: “Given the score obtained by the Social Democratic Party, it’s quite obvious that the candidate will be designated based on mutual agreement, but it will be somebody proposed by the Social Democratic Party.”

The other four parties represented in the new Parliament are preparing their strategies too. The Democratic Union of Ethnic Hungarians in Romania, a constant presence in governing alliances, talks only about a potential collaboration in Parliament. The head of the People’s Movement Party, the former president of Romania Traian Basescu, says his party places itself in opposition.

Traian Basescu: “We have no allies at the moment, therefore we count on no one. We are in opposition with the ruling parties.”

As for the Save Romania Union, now the third most powerful party in Romania and for the first time represented in Parliament, it will strike no alliances, but it will collaborate with those involved in drafting the future bills. Its initial intention to support, together with the National Liberal Party, the current technocratic prime minister Dacian Ciolos, is no longer a valid option.