Political disputes in Bucharest

The Alliance of Liberals and Democrats faces political pressure from the Social Democratic Party after walking away from the government. President Klaus Iohannis urges the PM to seek a vote of confidence in Parliament.

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Corina Cristea, 12.09.2019, 19:00

Prime minister and leader of the Social Democratic Party Viorica Dancila has failed in her attempt to fill the positions left vacant by the withdrawal of
the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats last week by nominating other Liberal
Democrat members. President Klaus Iohannis has rejected her proposal saying it
is unconstitutional and again calling on the prime minister to put her cabinet
to a vote of confidence in Parliament, given that, he argues, the political
make-up of the government has changed.

As for the persons nominated by the
prime minister and who say they wish to continue the project begun in 2016
together with the Social Democrats, the Liberal Democrats’ leader Calin Popescu
Tariceanu says they no longer belong in the party. This also applies to Teodor
Melescanu, who was recently elected Senate speaker following Tariceanu’s resignation.
Melescanu says he still considers himself a member of the Alliance of Liberals
and Democrats and that he will appeal his exclusion from the party in court. Political commentators believe the surprising move to appoint a leading member
of the Liberal Democrats as Senate speaker is a desperate attempt to save the
Social Democrats’ minority government. Bringing in members of the Alliance of
Liberal and Democrats in the government and the support given to Melescanu to
obtain the second most important position in the state are unconstitutional,
says Calin Popescu Tariceanu. He accuses Viorica Dancila of not complying with
the constitutional provisions and not respecting the decision of the Liberal
Democrats to withdraw from the government, trying all kinds of tactics to avoid
seeking a vote of confidence in Parliament. Opinions within the party are,
however, divided on this account, with an increasing number of members calling
for a congress to establish the direction the party is to take.

Dan Barna, the
president of the Save Romania Union, in opposition, has also asked Viorica
Dancila to appear before Parliament and has called on all opposition parties to
sign a pact to push for early elections. According to Barna, elections could be
held, under the procedure in place, in approximately six months’ time. The
Liberal leader Ludovic Orban has also said that the prime minister is running
counter to the Constitution by refusing to seek Parliament’s vote of confidence
for her cabinet and that the current government is illegal.