In a first stance about the referendum’s outcome, the chairman of the ruling party, Liviu Dragnea says there will be no analysis within the party on the referendum, claiming the campaign had not been assumed by the party. However, he suggested that there would not be need for any threshold at referendum anymore, arguing that the result „should be indeed the will of the majority”.
„I don’t have to justify the turnout. I saw all kind of analyses conducted in good or bad faith. We are hanging on a hypothetical number of people who might cast their vote at a referendum in Romania (…) I have said over the years, when the referendum had no threshold, more would come to polls, for the ones who are against would vote,” Dragnea said.
He denied there has been a party decision compelling mayors to endorse the campaign for the referendum.
„It has been said there was my referendum or PSD’s. After all, 4 million Romanian cast their vote, some boycotted it, this is the result and we are moving on. PSD has not attended the campaign. PSD has not been campaigning, but just conducting an awareness campaign,” the Social Democrat leader argued.
Dragnea retorts to BOR spokesperson: I can hardly abstain myself from not replying
On the other hand, commenting on the recent accusations coming from the Orthodox Church that the referendum has been politicised, Dragnea said he is hardly abstaining himself from not replying to the BOR spokesperson’s allegations, for he „is respectful”. BOR spokesperson, Vasile Banescu told an interview on Tuesday that the referendum had not acquired the threshold to pass also because it had been associated with Dragnea.
„I am Christian Orthodox and I am a religious man, not a practitioner. I am also very respectful. I can hardly abstain myself from not replying,” Dragnea said.
BOR spokespersoan Vasile Banescu told an interview to RFI that the family referendum had not met the necessary 30% threshold because the question addressed to voters had been unclear, because the topic had not been debated enough within the society and due to „the online misinformation” and for it had been associated to the politicians, namely to Dragnea.
Dragnea challenges the seizure in the Tel Drum file again
On a different note, Liviu Dragnea has challenged again to the Supreme Court the prosecutors’ action to seize his assets in the Tel Drum file. This is the PSD chair’s second attempt to take out his fortune from the seizure. A first appeal has been denied at the end of last year.
Prosecutors have ordered a RON 127.5 million seizure on Dragnea’s assets, including on buildings, plots of land, two cars and bank accounts.
Investigators say that TelDrum, the company controlled by Liviu Dragnea himself through other people close to him, would have illegally benefited of numerous contracts from public and European money. The prejudice brought to the Romanian state and to the European Union through these contracts mounts to RON 30 million and EUR 20 million.