The PNL’s National Executive Bureau has voted today to expel former PNL chairman Ludovic Orban from the party, after the latter has been a PNL member for 30 years. The ousting proposal must also be approved in the National Council, according to the party statutes. There have been 31 votes in favor of the exclusion, two against and two void ballots.
“I am the victim of a demolition gang that decided to expel from PNL. I an honoured, as this clearly proves that I have nothing to do with the decisions taken by Klaus Iohannis and the demolition gang (…) This demolition gang piloted by Klaus Iohannis is the one that ripped apart PNL, democracy and the ruling coalition. Today’s decision makes me a person free to represent Romanians who need loyal people, dedicated to serving the public interest. I am free to build a political force, next to all the Liberal colleagues who have honour, common sense and respect, a force that can give Romania a national, Liberal project,” said Orban in retort to his ousting.
Orban also suggested the Liberal leaders that they should be the ones who must resign, launching a fierce attack against PNL chair Florin Citu. “Citu is not even able to run a stairwell of a block,” Orban reportedly said.
“Those who are leading PNL today have turned the party in a venue of political prostitution, by being arm in arm with the enemy“, Orban accused.
He also slammed President Iohannis again for the “embarrassing affair with PSD”. “Iohannis should apologize to those over 6.5 million people who voted him and of whom he mocked. Iohannis intervened that I should be replaced from the position of PNL chairman for I would have never accepted the alliance with PSD”, the ousted Liberal continued.
Ludic Orban has recently stated that he will set up a new party, probably called the Liberal Force or the National Liberal Force.
PNL, on the other hand, accused Orban of breaking the party’s statute and ethical code. “You should have been expelled long time ago”, Dan Vilceanu told Orban. “You made your colleagues servants. You have an obsession,” Vilceanu added.
In his turn, the Liberal PM Florin Roman reproached Orban of also striking deals with PSD to become prime minister, after Oerban accused PNL of agreeing an alliance with the Social Democrats to form a new Cabinet.
“PNL has always endorsed you. If the President named you PM again, you would clean his house, filled his gas tank,” Roman allegedly told Orban. “You became PM with the PSD votes, the second appointment was also with the PSD votes. I witnessed your discussions with Ciolacu (e.n. PSD chairman). You used to say that the husbands and wives of some ALDE members and PSD members should stay in office”, Roman added.
Ionel Danca leaves the party
Former PNL’s spokesperson, Ionel Danca, close to Ludovic Orban, also announced his resignation from the party. “Ludovic Orban is leaving, I am also leaving”, Danca posted on Facebook. Danca had already left the PNL parliamentary group along with Orban. “Ousting Ludovic Orban from PNL means to take the Liberal spirit out of PNL”, Danca said.
“Ludovic Orban leaves PNL, I’m leaving too! It is clear: whoever criticizes the destructive team leading the PNL, which brought the party to its knees and led Romania to the feet of the PSD, is excluded from the PNL. I cannot accept Romanians being betrayed and mocked by Klaus Iohannis and by PNL, which are rendering now the government to PSD, against everything we have fought and worked for and against everything the Romanian voters have believed in. The exclusion of Ludovic Orban from PNL means to remove the liberal spirit from PNL which has always fought for a liberal and democratic development of Romania without PSD”, Danca said.
“Unfortunately, a gang of political invertebrates, lice and traitors, impostors and jesters, installed at the PNL leadership by President Klaus Iohannis in a totalitarian way, is destroying the National Liberal Party, while mocking Romanians, handing over the government and the country to PSD. But, more serious than the destruction of the most beautiful historical party in Romania is the destruction of hope in a right-wing government that meant to develop Romania, as Romanians have been waiting for for many years“, he added.