The National Liberal Party (PNL) on Saturday launched its own governance programme to public and internal debate. Among fiscal proposals, it stipulates VAT drop by 19 percent as of January 1, 2016, gradual cut of tax on special constructions and of excise on fuel by December 31, 2016, as well as capping the health national insurance contribution by 16 percent during 2017-2020. PNL also proposes the capping of the base of all social contributions to three average wages.
The Liberal governance programme also includes a special chapter for solving the demographic unbalances, as they are considered a “national security matter”. Measures to counter attack these unbalances refer to maternity grants rise and to nursery and after-school programs implementation.
PNL co-presidents, Vasile Blaga and Alina Gorghiu, as well as the party’s premier designate, Catalin Predoiu also heralded health and education actions comprised in the governance programme. The suggestions refer to preventing school dropout, to a national program for encouraging youngsters living in the countryside to enroll to universities, as well as to special salary packages for doctors and teachers.
“The document is in accordance with the political programme in ten points launched by Romania’s President Klaus Iohannis, during the presidential campaign. It will set the grounds of our partnership with the President for the achievement of the country project “Romania of things well-done,” Vasile Blaga told a press conference on Saturday.
PNL co-chair Alina Gorghiu told the same press conference that the PNL governance programme plans to maintain the economic macrostability, as well as some solid public systems. Gorghiu added that among the Liberals’ governance objectives there is the creation of the conditions for the development of the middle class in Romania, so this segment can represent over 50 per cent of the Romanian society.
At the same time, Gorghiu reiterated the power shift issue, saying that National Liberal Party (PNL) invites all those who want to support the Liberals’ governance programme to join this project for generating a parliamentary majority to change the Social Democratic Party (PSD) Government.
In retort, PSD spokesperson Gabriela Firea considers that PNL governance programme totally “lacks credibility”, adding that she would have like to see “a openness to dialogue” from the Liberals’ part.
“(…) Mr. Blaga and Predoiu are among those who ran Romanians into a EUR 20 bln debt taken from the external backers and among those who signed for the taxes and contributions rise. What value could their governance programme have, as they are those who bankrupted Romania in the past, who blindly refused any invitation for dialogue?”, Firea said.
In his turn, Senate Speaker Calin Popescu Tariceanu, former PNL president and premier, currently running the Progressive Liberal Party (PLR), slammed PNL programme, saying it comprises “a lot of rhetoric and few substance.” He also pointed out that Romanians were cheated in 2010 with the actions taken by the former Democrat Liberal Party (PDL), which is now “reembodied” in the current PNL.