President Iohannis’ announcement through which he has publicly asked for PM Dancila’s resignation has prompted a lot of reactions on the side of the ruling coalition.
Senate Speaker Calin Popescu Tariceanu has stated on Friday that the only one in position to give a verdict on the prime minister is the Parliament.
“The only one in a position to give a verdict is the Parliament, which provides control over the Executive. The Parliament is giving the confidence vote and it’s only one able to withdraw it. The President has nothing to do with this issue. The President can ask for the resignation of the premier, the way as any other discontent citizen can ask for it. It has the same value, more or less (…) I saw a very serious activity at the government’s level, I saw Mrs. Dancila is a very involved and responsible premier. I think the decision to designate Mrs. Dancila in the PM position was very inspired,” Taricenau told Antena 3.
As for the President’s previous statement that the premier had no mandate to pay a visit to Israel, the Senate Speaker says it is groundless. “I want to warn the president that a prime minister never needs a mandate to pay a visit abroad. Viorica Dancila, as prime minister, speaks on behalf of the Government and in the name of Romania. The president is not the only voice who speaks in the name of Romania,” he argued.
PSD MP Iordache: The President, is annoyed with the premier’s success
PSD deputy Florin Iordache, former minister of Justice (and author of the controversial GEO 13 intended to amend the criminal laws) told Digi24 that President Klaus Iohannis had asked for PM Viorica Dancila’s resignation because “he is campaigning” and because he would be “annoyed” by the premier’s success in Israel.
“Romania’s President is campaigning and I think it is the start of the electoral campaign for 2018 (although the presidential elections are due in 2019). According to the Constitution, article 107, Romania’s President cannot dismiss the prime minister. At the same time, any citizen can request anything (…) The Parliament is the only authority that can approve the Government’s resignation. As we hold an overwhelming majority in Parliament at present, the dismissal of the Gov’t led by Mrs. Dancila is out of the question,” Iordache said, while also adding that Viorica Dancila doesn’t need any mandate for the visits abroad.
In his turn, PSD deputy secretary general, Codrin Stefanescu, replied that PM Dancila would not resign following President Iohannis’ request, also slamming the head of state for not correctly ‘arbitrating’ the issue of the secret protocols concluded between the Prosecutor’s Office and SRI.
“I was expecting the President to raise this issue with withdrawing support when there was the debate on the secret protocols, I haven’t seen him so impetuous back then (…) He shouldn’t export this scandal outside the country’s borders for he doesn’t like the government, he likes the parallel state,” Stefanescu told Realitatea TV.
Asked if the premier will resign, he replied: “Of course, she won’t resign and we’ll move on for we have a lot to solve.”
Plesoianu: President Iohannis is asking for his impeachment
Social Democrat deputy Liviu Plesoianu retorted that President Iohannis is asking for his impeachment after he has requested PM Dancila’s resignation. He added that PSD should not start a war with the head of state. “I don’t think we must start a war with Mr. Iohannis, for this is exactly what he wants. In my view, the Government should mind its own business, to do what it has to do and that’s it“, Plesoianu told RFI.
“Mr. Iohannis wants to re-legitimate himself and for that reason he badly needs a conflict with PSD-ALDE. Moreover, I even anticipate that maybe Mr. Iohannis really wants an impeachment, as he understood he has low chances for a second presidential term, considering the previous impeachment cases of Basescu, which helped the former president get back in good shape when he had started to lose confidence in the polls,” he added.
Firea: ‘A hazardous move’
Bucharest general mayor Gabriela Firea opined that President Klaus Iohannis should restrict his actions to what the Constitution allows him according to his position, adding that withdrawing the political endorsement for the premier is ‘a hazardous move’.
“I publicly appeal to Romania’s President to confine his actions within the constitutional limits of his position and to give up political partisan actions, like he promised when he had asked for the electors’ votes (…) I understand President Iohannis’ need to cover his totally far-fetched statement made yesterday related to the Israel visit (…) but the manner he chose to do it is totally uninspired,” Firea said.
MEP Catalin Ivan, ex-PSD slams Dancila
On the other side, MEP Catalin Ivan, expelled from PSD some time ago, said that Viorica Dancila had been installed as PM with the complicity of both Klaus Iohannis and Liviu Dragnea.
“Viorica Dancila didn’t belong there, as PM. She mustn’t step down from this position for Klaus Iohannis asks her to. She had been mounted up there by Liviu Dragnea, with Klaus Iohannis’ complicity, who had the chance to oppose the nomination, to ask PSD-ALDE alliance to propose another name, for it was obvious for everybody that Viorica Dancila was not ready to lead Romania’s Government,” Ivan said.
In his view it has been more than a kind of deal between Dragnea and the President. “Viorica Dancila is the biggest offense that Romania has ever had since the Revolution up to now! To have such a premier is offending for all Romanians,” he added.