YOU MAY NOT WANT ME, BUT I WANT YOU... Băsescu concedes to cohabitation with the USL

The campaign for the referendum has radicalized the public speech of the politicians to the extreme. Upon this background, the main character of this period, Traian Băsescu made several interesting statements concerning a potential cohabitation with a USL government: "Definitely, yes. I encouraged it. I was the one who appointed Victor Ponta. I did not make any other attempt to give the government to the PDL. The PDL had lost the majority, I did not try to dawdle. I just said: you have appointed Ponta as prime-minister, here's his mandate, go ahead". Traian Băsescu said he had no qualms about this cohabitation, which was needed to ensure that institutions would remain functional: "Our obligation was to keep the institutions we serve functional, even though there is no love lost between us, and each of us would mind their own job. I believed in cohabitation a lot. After the government lost the majority in the Parliament, as I had the experience of working with heads of institutions which came from parties in the Opposition, such as those of the SRI and SIE, I attempted to cohabitate in order to avoid political instability. I was convinced it would work. There was a major difference between 2007 and 2012, and during the campaign for the local elections I didn't say a word, even though I was being attacked by the prime minister himself. I tolerated the departure [of Ponta] at the Council [in Brussels] in spite of the ruling of the Constitutional Court and yet, the suspension procedure was initiated".

The suspended president has also said that he has been tolerant when it comes to the appointment of Ecaterina Andronescu as minister of Education, even though the lost a lawsuit which alleged she was incompatible with that position: "I went with the tolerance... Andronescu lost an incompatibility lawsuit. I thought, < < well, since the prime minister takes responsibility, so be it > >. Under normal circumstances I would not have accepted this kind of nomination. I said < So be it > because my main interest was stability, it was more important than my ego".

On the other hand, the statements of the leaders of the USL, Crin Antonescu, who currently serves as interim president, and Victor Ponta, are very radical in that regard. The former, who announced he would retire from politics if the people vote in favor of Traian Băsescu, made the following statement in the Parliament: "If you will not be dismissed at the referendum, I, Crin Antonescu, will retire from politics forever. I don't know what you will do if you get dismissed at the referendum, but I wish just one thing for both of us, an independent legal system and a president who will be good for the citizens and for you alike". Prime Minister Victor Ponta isn't planning a definitive retirement of his own from politics, but he will not pursue the cooperation: "I will not cohabitate in any way with Traian Băsescu. He is like a scorpion, he kills anyone who is around him".

Traian Băsescu said he is not even considering losing the referendum, especially since PM Victor Ponta and interim president Crin Antonescu have been rejected as partners by Europe, and their staying in office would lead to an isolation of the country.