The war between palaces continues

Romania's president rejects proposals for the vacancies created by the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats leaving the ruling coalition

Ştefan Stoica, 13.09.2019, 13:55

The crisis triggered by the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats – ALDE – leaving the coalition government couldnt have occurred at a worst moment, given the upcoming presidential elections in Romania. President Klaus Iohannis, who intends to run for a new term, has rejected the three new proposals for ministers made by the Prime Minister Viorica Dancila, who is also the leader and candidate of the Social Democratic Party in the presidential race. The head of state has warned that he will do the same with other similar proposals and has told Ms Dancila that her minority executive cannot overcome the current deadlock without getting a vote of confidence in Parliament. According to the president, nominating members of ALDE after the party officially broke up with the Social-Democrats is unconstituonal.

Klaus Iohannis: “Madam Prime Minister, I am telling you know, directly and publicly, that you have to come before Parliament with a request for validation of your government, because otherwise things cannot be settled. This new request that I have refused came with something new, in the sense that its utterly unconstitutional, as it is very clear that ALDE has left the governing coalition.”

In response, prime-minister Viorica Dancila has stated that she is not afraid, as Klaus Iohannis said, to come before Parliament for a vote of confidence in her government. The leader of the Social Democratic Party has counterattacked, blaming the president for undermining the governments efforts for a normal functioning and has started an electoral battle by accusing the president of acting against the interests of the Romanian people, just like the party supporting him, namely the National Liberal Party.

Viorica Dancila: “I have seen a new episode in the series of presidential indifference and contempt. Its quite obvious now that the party supporting Mr. Klaus Iohannis has a problem with budget employees, whom they offend and threaten that they will suffer a cut in their incomes, but the president has brought this to a brand new level. He is just denying peoples right to be paid. When they are not cutting salaries, Ioahannis and his right-wing supporters block them.”

In the beginning of the political crisis, president Iohannis promised he would find constitutional ways to solve it. On her part, PM Dancila committed to going to Parliament on Wednesday, to ask for a vote of confidence, as required by the Constitution when the political configuration of a government changes. The presidential solutions have failed to appear, and the prime-ministers presence in Parliament for revalidation has become uncertain. Analysts in Bucharest are convinced that neither the president, nor the prime-minister want to make decisive moves before Novembers elections. (translated by M. Ignatescu)