How they shook hands

• Crin Antonescu may tour the country with Mircea Geoană in his electoral campaign

• UDMR has signed an agreement with PNL and will hold talks with social-democrats about backing Geoană

Liberals yesterday committed to backing Mircea Geoană, the candidate of the Social democrats (PSD) in the second round of the elections, scheduled to take place on December 6th.

In return for this political support, liberals are requesting that PSD join them in creating a parliamentary majority which would back a government led by Klaus Johannis, which Marko Bela"s Romanian Democratic Union Of Hungarians also expressed interest in.

Liberal Ludovic Orban will negotiate with the social-democrats an anti-crisis program, as well as principles which would ensure political stability, the reformation of the political system and good governance. One of the issues that liberals will negotiate with social democrats is the keeping in place, perhaps even a reduction of the flat rate tax and the lowering of social security contributions, but according to liberals, it is Klaus Johannis that would have the last word on this matter.

The Liberal"s Central Political Office yesterday voted unanimously in favor of the abovementioned decisions which were validated by the National Executive Office and by the Permanent Delegation of PNL.

Even though the president of PNL, Crin Antonescu, insisted that "the distribution of the various ministries won"t be discussed before the time is right", liberal leaders across the country are already jubilating thinking about the great splitting of the spoils.

For instance, in Gorj, the local liberals are accepting cooperation with the social-democrats, as long as they get the Prefecture, one of the power complexes and one government agency. Crin Antonescu also said that he may decide to accompany Mircea Geoană during his electoral tour and said he would actively get involved if that were the case, saying that the defamatory statements that Traian Băsescu made about him make it necessary for him to explain himself to his voters directly.

• PSD, accepts Johannis

In turn, social-democrats yesterday summoned the party"s National Executive Council and voted in favor of the creation of an alliance with Liberals to back a government led by Klaus Johannis.

The chairman of the national Council of PSD, Adrian Năstase, yesterday said prior to the reunion of the National Executive Commission, that social democrats and liberals would come up with a stable government, that would position itself as a positive alternative to the current chaos. According to Năstase, one of the reasons that PSD is backing Johannis is the fact that the latter is not a liberal: "Voting for Johannis does not make us liberals".

Adrian Năstase said that PNL and PSD would both have to make compromises in terms of their political platforms by accepting a program that would merge social-democratic and liberal elements.

PSD vice-president, Victor Ponta, said that the National Executive Committee of the party decided there would be no talks about the allocation of portfolios in the next government prior to December 6th, as winning the elections takes precedence over anything else.

"If anyone talks about ministries, positions or anything else of the kind will do so against the mandate given to them by the PSD", Ponta said, as quoted by NewsIn.

• UDMR may back Geoană

Also yesterday, a delegation of the PNL negotiated and signed with UDMR a political agreement which states that the two parties would back one candidate in the second round of elections and a government led by Klaus Johannis.

"The Permanent Council of the Romanian Democratic Hungarian Union agrees to enter an agreement with PNL that would involve a collaboration or cooperation which will be as tight as possible, and permanent consultation on the issue of the second round of elections as well as concerning the creation of a new government and of a parliamentary majority that would back the future government", Marko Bela, the leader of the UDMR said. He also said that UDMR had always had a smooth cooperation with PNL, which was not the case with the other political parties. "We have reproaches to make to PD- L, and PSD, alike, but right now, we are open to discussion with all the parties in the Parliament", said the leader of the Union.