On Friday, during their meeting in Sinaia, the Liberals decided to go it alone in the 2024 elections, abandoning the earlier consideration of forming an alliance with the Social Democrats (PSD). With unanimous support, PNL has chosen to field its own candidates in the 2024 elections, and the party chairman, former prime minister Nicolae Ciucă has expressed his intention to be the party’s presidential candidate.
During the meeting in Sinaia with organization leaders, the PNL leadership presented three scenarios regarding next year’s elections: running on their own, forming an alliance with the PSD, or joining a broader right-wing coalition.
Behind closed doors, PNL President Nicolae Ciucă reportedly informed the organization leaders in the Sinaia meeting that the party “will approach the 2024 elections by itself and will win them.”
“We have succeeded throughout history by ourselves. By ourselves, we will approach the 2024 elections and win them. To elect the President of Romania. Because there is no other solution for Romania’s development,” Ciucă told the Liberals, according to official sources present at the meeting.
When asked by a PNL leader if he will run for the presidency, Ciucă reportedly replied, “Why do you think I’m here?” the PNL President said.
Nicolae Ciucă also spoke to the Liberals about PNL’s ability to unite the right, saying that the party is set to merge with ALDE through absorption. However, he did not mention opposition parties in Parliament such as USR, Forța Dreptei, or PMP led by Eugen Tomac.
“The consolidation of the right will revolve around PNL. We are in the final stages of merging with ALDE through absorption. We are the only party that can unite the right!” Ciucă stated.
In turn, PNL’s Secretary General, Lucian Bode, called on the Liberals to unite, as “internal divisions must be addressed, and there must be unity around the common goal of winning all four rounds of elections.”
According to sources participating in the discussions, the party’s Secretary-General, Lucian Bode, stated on Friday regarding the Social Democrats’ attacks on the PNL that the PSD “wants to appear as good guys, but they’ve been attacking us since last night through the ‘Bălăceanca Division’.” “PSD wants to seem like the good guys, but they’ve been attacking us since last night through the ‘Bălăceanca Division’,” Lucian Bode is reported to have said, according to the sources.
He was responding to a post by PSD Deputy Marian Mina.
PSD Deputy Marian Mina, the leader of the Social Democrats in Giurgiu, mocked the Liberals and their potential choice to go it alone in the elections. In a Facebook post, Mina had rhetorically asked if anyone had invited them to be on a common electoral list. “You know the joke about that ant that looks in the mirror and thinks it’s an elephant?! That’s how the story of ‘By Ourselves’ that the newcomers are launching in Sinaia with a cold buffet begins,” Mina said.