Update: PNL, USR-PLUS and UDMR have resumed negotiations on a potential ruling coalition majority at Vila Lac today.
Co-chairman of USR-PLUS, Dan Barna has announced a new proposition to PNL and UDMR leaders, Ludovic Orban and Kelemen Hunor in an attempt to unblock negotiations for a centre right-wing coalition. Barna proposed that all three of them should be part of the Government, as deputy PMs, and proposed another person for the Chamber Speaker position: Cătălin Drulă.
“We are trying a new solution by proposing another bid for the leadership of the Chamber of Deputies. We consider that a balance must exist. I will propose Cătălin Drulă, a colleagues with a significant expertize, for the chamber speaker seat,” Barna said.
He argued that negotiations would be thus unblocked, and PNL, USR-PLUS and UDMR will be able to further approach debates about the ruling programmes.
“A government where the prime minister will have the leaders of the coalition parties as deputy PMs will be credible and will not need other committees and we can therefore have a solid, stable coalition”, USR-PLUS co-chairman stated.
Dan Barna and Ludovic Orban are expected to have a new discussion on Tuesday, after the PNL chairman had had a talk with President Klaus Iohannis earlier in the morning.
Negotiations have failed during the weekend after both Barna and Orban had claimed the leadership of the Chamber of Deputies.
Ludovic Orban, Kelemen Hunor slam Barna for coming out with the announcement
PNL chair Ludovic Orban has criticized Dan Barna for making his stance on the three deputy PMs public, saying that their common agreement was “to avoid voicing individual stances”.
“We agreed in the first two days of negotiations with the USR-PLUS and UDMR leaders to communicate only together and only those things that we have agreed upon.
Considering that our common agreement was to avoid voicing individual stances that have not made the object of the consensus of the three parties, I remain steadfast to the agreed understanding with the other partners”, said former PM Orban, while urging negotiation partners to observe the initial agreement and to discuss their proposals among them first.
In his turn, the leader of UDMR senators, Cseke Attila, opined that Barna should have discussed with Ludovic Orban and Kelemen Hunor before making this announcement.
“Mr. Barna’s announcement doesn’t help in securing a higher level of trust. There has been no consultation for this announcement. These things are debated inside first in a coalition”, Cseke Attial said, accusing Dan Barna that he had tried to create himself an image of the one coming up with solutions.