Liberals have filed a new censure motion against PM Ponta on Monday. Entitled “Choose between Romania and Ponta, a compromised premier. Remove Victor Ponta”, the motion is signed by 180 MPs- 119 deputies, with 112 coming from the National Liberal Party and 61 senators (58 from PNL).
The joint Standing Bureaus of the two Chambers of Parliament decide the no-confidence motion to be read in Parliament on Wednesday, while the vote of the plenum to be scheduled for next week, on September 29.
PNL says that a premier who has been indicted is compromising “a whole nation”, adding that “in any other EU country, the premier would have resigned immediately after he had been prosecuted, meaning more than three months ago.”
The Liberals are asking deputy prime minister Gabriel Oprea to say “what is the national interest which claims Victor Ponta’s keeping as PM at the risk of jeopardizing this country.” At the same time, PNL is accusing PSD interim leader Liviu Dragnea that by endorsing Victor Ponta, he is selling illusions to the Romanians.
On the other side, the Executive Committee of the ruling Social Democrat Party has previously voted to preserve the ruling power with Victor Ponta as prime minister. “We decided to reject the censure motion and to support the Government,” Liviu Dragnea said.
Few hours earlier, before the PSD meeting, PM Ponta was also saying the Government has UNPR’s endorsement against the no-confidence motion that Liberals intend to file.