Bucharest Mayor, Gabriela Firea: If Liviu Dragnea does not change his ways, a withdrawal would be beneficial. Projects for Bucharest – ignored by PSD

Bucharest Mayor, Gabriela Firea, has accused PSD leader Liviu Dragnea, on Tuesday, that during the party sittings he is ‘milk and honey’, but underground and during his meetings with several close people, the decisions are different, hinting at the stories regarding former PMs Sorin Grindeanu and Mihai Tudose.

“Mr. Dragnea smiles and very nicely avoids the truth, he never confronts us directly, everything is ‘milk and honey’ during the sittings and assemblies, but underground and during the meetings with several close people, the decisions are totally different. In the chapters with Grindeanu and Tudose, I was concerned about the Bucharesters, about the Romanians coming to Bucharest. Each time, Mr. Dragnea said he agrees, politically, with all our projects, but said first Grindeanu and then Tudose oppose. Then, rightfully, I publicly said that the government does not help the people of Bucharest,” Gabriela Firea said during a talk-show for TVR 1 public television.

Firea added she has tried to maintain the political partnership with Liviu Dragnea.

“I’ve tried to maintain the political partnership with Mr. Dragnea and with all my colleagues. Unfortunately, the answer was not the same from the very first days of my job as mayor. The initial explanation of my colleagues – Mr. Dragnea has never told me explicitly this – was that I have a rather high popularity in the opinion polls, and I could be a political menace to his likely candidacy to presidency. This is what my colleagues told me, as he asked: what does Gabi want more? She won the city hall, why doesn’t she stop? Why is she getting more involved? Why is she live in the media, why is she building on her public image? What are her targets? Does she want to take over the party? Does she want to be a candidate? I told them I have no other purposes but those we have selected together and are included in the local governance programme,” Firea said.

She added that “probably, he wanted that the Mayor, being a woman and from PSD, to be an unimportant political character, insignificant and to fight less for the projects.”

Gabriela Firea added that she had several attempts to discuss with Dragnea. Now, she said, one year and a half has passed, three cabinets worked at Victoria Palace and things have not evolved.

Withdrawal would be beneficial

Gabriela Firea said on Tuesday that Liviu Dragnea should change his ways of working and to give up the idea of having a two-three people as consultants, but she does not believe this will happen, so a withdrawal from the party leadership would be beneficial.

“From my point of view, either he changes his ways of working and gives up the idea of consulting only two-three people, many of them are not in the government – but I don’t believe this will happen. It would be great. If not, I believe that a withdrawal would be beneficial for the party and for the country, because we are the largest political party and would be beneficial also for the country,” Firea said.

This is my personal opinion, she stressed.

Asked by the TV anchor, why she did not attend Dragnea’s son wedding, she said the decision was made by the family.

“To go to the wedding, sit at the table, socialize, eat, dance, feel well, what everyone is doing during the weddings, would have meant to be ashamed of myself. Honestly, considering the discussions and the messages between me and Mr. Dragnea. The decision not to attend was made by the family, first of all to avoid being hypocritical. (…) I decided to avoid reaching a dead end, to pretend everything is well, pink, and then me and my colleagues in the country to settle Mr. Dragnea’s faulty management,” Firea told TVR 1.