President Klaus Iohannis has announced he will attend the Congress electing the chairman of the National Liberal Party (PNL) on Saturday. He voiced his support for PM Florin Citu to win the internal competition for the top leadership seat in the party and to continue as prime minister.
At the same time, the head of state said he is also discussing with the incumbent PNL chair Ludovic Orban, though noting that he cannot understand Ludovic anymore.
As for the ruling coalition crisis, Iohannis told journalists accompanying him to the UN General Assembly in New York that the crisis will be solved after the PNL and USR PLUS congresses.
The head of state doesn’t believe that the Cabinet will be toppled down by censure motion after the congresses of the two parties, considering that PM Florin Citu can lead the Executive up to the next elections.
“I encourage Florin to go on and to not be afraid and I encourage Liberals to stay in power (…) Florin Citu has no reasons to resign or to be dismissed“, President Iohannis said.
He argued that there had always been various trends in PNL, which have settled down after the internal elections, with the opponent voices either lining up behind the winner, or with leaving to another party, such as the former Liberal leader Calin Popescu Tariceanu (editor note: who left PNL and set up a new party, ALDE).
Asked about the recent stance of PNL chair Ludovi Orban against him, President Iohannis said he has discussions with Orban, but “who can understand Ludovic anymore these days?”
One day after Klaus Iohannis called upon Romanians to start playing golf, Ludovic Orban replied that promoting golf in the present situation is “totally out of line”. “This sport is available to those with above-average income and who have the necessary time”, Orban said on Sunday.
The PNL Congress is due Saturday, September 25 at Romexpo.