Chairman of Pro Romania, former PM Victor Ponta announced in a press conference in Ramnicu Valcea on Wednesday that he is expecting „a wave of PSD refugees” to Pro Romania after the EP elections due on May 26, also disclosing that his party’s plan is to try to topple down Liviu Dragnea from the helm of the Chamber of Deputies (Romanian Parliament’s lower chamber).
„Unlike Ion Iliescu, Adrian Năstase, and even Mircea Geoană and I would say, Victor Ponta, Mr. Dragnea is not endorsed by any Social Democrat out of love. They all stay for Dragnea is sharing positions and money. The second Dragnea has no more money and positions to give, Carmen Dan will leave him and Dancila will shout that the dictator has left. So, our first attack on May 27 will be to try replacing Mr Dragnea from the Chamber (…) and after that we intend to change his government, so that he could not share positions and money. And then you’ll see a wave of refugees from PSD to Pro Romania. Now, we’ll have to be careful to not allow all of them,” Ponta said.
He explained he had not set up Pro Romania to return to PSD after Dragnea leaves. „We set up Pro Romania for we really thought we must stick to our pledges in 2016 (…) Our main difference is that we think the European Union must be improved, must work better, but for Romania it’s better inside EU. The fact that Mr. Dragnea, Codrin Ştefănescu, Vâlcov, Olguţa Vasilescu say it’s better outside the EU and that all bad things come from the EU it’s a nonsense and a lie,” Ponta added.
Asked on a potential collaboration with the other Opposition parties, Ponta opined that they are not ready to take over ruling and denied his party is coming close to PNL or USR.
„Orban (PNL chair, Ludovic Orban) is like a Trabant, like a Dacia 1100. He is from another movie, I don’t know how he walks on the street”.