Coalition Turbulences Premier Boc: PSD Less Committed To Government Priorities

Emil Boc, Prime Minister and President of the Democrat Liberal Party (PD-L), has accused the co-ruling Social Democrat Party (PSD) and their President Mircea Geoana of being less and less committed to the priorities of the Government and the objectives stipulated in the Partnership for Romania, a core document of the PSD - PD-L ruling coalition. Upon concluding a steering meeting of the PD-L, Premier Boc asked the Social Democrats to keep to the agreement made in December 2008 and return to the true priorities of the Government. He further commented that PSD seemed much more preoccupied with the forthcoming presidential elections and various political disputes than with the current economic crisis and ways to counter it.

"Little by little, I begin to see that our partners, PSD, are less and less committed to the priorities of the Partnership for Romania, the priorities of the Government, the priorities of the people of Romania. I am asking our partners, PSD, to return to the priorities of the Romanians, the priorities of Romania. Little by little, I begin to see that PSD"s priorities are less connected to Romania"s primary concern, the management of the economic crisis and the implementation of the reform that Romanians have been waiting for, as our partners are more concerned with aspects of the presidential campaign due this Autumn and secondary political issues and less concerned with what we have committed to achieve before the people of Romania," Premier Boc state and was quoted by NewsIn.

Premier Boc emphasized the importance of having a functional Partnership for Romania, as important projects needed to be finalized. His examples included the planned Single Salary Policy Law, economic reorganization measures, the reform of the educational system and the reform of the pension system. Further on, Prime Minister Boc announced that the ministers would not take vacation this Summer and asked the PSD leaders not to allow themselves to be trapped in election campaigns and "struggles related to the presidential elections this Autumn," because the losses would not be limited to PD-L and PSD, but would affect all Romanians.

"If this coalition too, a coalition that was born against all ideological predictions and all expectations, fails to serve its purpose, the entire political community will lose, including the parties that are now members of the Partnership for Romania," Emil Boc added.

• Flutur: Before appointing committees, ministers should give explanations to the coalition

Emil Boc also commented that his PSD counterpart, Mircea Geoana, had not been taking coalition meetings seriously and that was the reason why discussions had been rather informal, without leading to any decisions. The Democrat Liberals are also upset with the Social Democrat"s plan to join forces with the National Liberal Party (PNL) in appointing an inquiry committee on Elena Udrea"s case. In their opinion, ministers in such situations should first give explanations to the ruling coalition and then face the inquiry.

PD-L Vice President Gheorghe Flutur explained: "We do not have a problem with the prospect of appointing committees, but we do need to keep to the agreement and the partnership we have signed with PSD. In our opinion, as the agreement stipulates, any minister should first be invited to give explanations to the coalition regarding any concerns that may appear. If our partners have a different strategy and a different agreement with PNL, it"s their business. In our view, institutionally speaking, we must keep to the partnership we have concluded in front of the Romanian people."

• Duvaz: Boc is only trying to conceal his unease about inquiry committees

Social Democrat Spokesman Bogdan Niculescu Duvaz wasted no time before answering to the Democrat Liberals" grievances. "As long as this coalition exists, the Boc Government exists. When the coalition ceases to exist, the Boc Government ceases to exist. For the time being, the coalition is in place and we all need to act responsibly on this matter. We are acting responsibly, but we cannot show solidarity in concealing the truth, concealing failure and persevering in error."

Duvaz also suggested that Boc"s criticism against PSD was meant to distract attention from the planned appointment of parliamentary inquiry committees on cases concerning PD-L ministers. "I hope the Prime minister did not use this speech to conceal his unease about the inquiry committees. The committees are useful and necessary. Parliament needs to exercise the control of the public over the Government. The people of Romania are interested in ending the crisis, securing jobs and stopping the economic collapse. They are hardly interested in who is supporting whom or what committee is set up overnight," Duvaz added.

He voiced harsh criticism against PD-L disregarding PSD"s proposals for crisis containment measures and suggested that PD-L ministers preferred to go on vacation rather than review the Social Democrats" solutions. Duvaz made reference to a crisis containment plan proposed by PSD, which had not been discussed at coalition level because, according to him, Economy Minister Adriean Videanu was gone "to Monte Carlo or Cannes or Nice."