Romanian PM rules out post-election alliance with far-right

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Romania’s Social Democratic Party (PSD) firmly rejects the possibility of governing with the far-right AUR party, party leader Marcel Ciolacu said, after Social Democratic MEP Mihai Tudose said the issue could be considered after the upcoming national elections.

Ciolaku defended his party colleague, saying his comments were due to pressure from the ongoing election campaign.

“He’s running for office, that’s normal. Can you still expect him to just send a smile to the (liberal) PNL??” said Joraku.

Asked by Number 24 On Monday evening, MEP Mihai Tudose responded by saying if all alliances were on the table: “All options are possible. PNL with AUR, USR with AUR.”

Tudos also said any future alliance with the PNL after the election would depend on the will of the voters. “We don’t get to decide who to ally with; the Romanian people decide through their vote.”

In a pointed response on Facebook on Tuesday, George Simion, leader of the Romanian People’s Alliance, rejected an alliance with the Social Democrats. “To be absolutely clear: I refuse to form a government with Ciucă and Ciolacu. We are in alliance only with the Romanian people.”

Tensions between the Social Democrats and the Liberals in the ruling coalition have been rising in recent months ahead of parliamentary and presidential elections in November and December. At the Social Democratic Party congress on Saturday, several Social Democratic leaders stepped up their criticism of the National Liberation Front and President Klaus Iohannis.

In response, liberal MEP Rareș Bogdan accused the Social Democrats (PSD) of preparing to form a government with the AUR.

“Extremists were conspicuously absent from the hate speeches delivered from the podium of the Social Democratic Party Congress,” Bogdan said.

“But it is clear that the PNL and PSD must govern together. If they fail to ensure stability on the eastern borders of the EU and NATO, the PSD could end up becoming a richer and more desperate version of the AUR,” he added.

He added that the Liberals would be “swallowing a jellyfish” by agreeing to govern with the Social Democrats.

(Editing by Daniel Eck/Martina Monti)