Ruling coalition crisis: First Dancila-Tariceanu meeting after ALDE’s ultimatum. PM-Ponta row escalates

PM Viorica Dăncilă and ALDE president Călin Popescu Tăriceanu have met on Monday to discuss about the ruling coalition’s fate after ALDE’s ultimatum.

“PSD won’t accept ultimatums“, Dăncilă has recently said. Tăriceanu has threatened his ruling partner with leaving the coalition if PSD is not coming up with a new ruling programme and with a restructured Cabinet. The PM rejected a restructuring, opting for a government reshuffle.

PM Dăncilă accused ALDE for its latest stances, arguing “a party cannot be in power and in opposition at the same time”.

“You cannot be in government and in opposition at the same time, it is the responsibility of the alliance as a whole. The public perception is about the coalition and ruling. Statistics prove it is an efficient government, though not perfect. As long as we are the county with the second highest economic growth after Hungary, I think it proves the ruling is heading to a good direction, as long as we are keeping our promises. I will talk to Mr. Tăriceanu, to see why he has been so upset”, Viorica Dăncilă told Antena 3.

She has though slammed his ruling partner’s public statements. “I think these stands are harming us and we are losing here, I think we should have these talks inside the coalition, for if we go public we are helping the Opposition,” she argued.

Amid growing tensions in the ruling coalition, Tariceanu has recently accused that the current Government “is functioning by default” and that he won’t be part of “an impotent Government”.

UDMR rules out support for PSD Gov’t

However, the Prime Minister has sought UDMR’s support, to secure PSD’s endorsement in Parliament. But, for the time being,  UDMR says it is not prone to consensus.

The leader of the UDMR deputies, Korodi Attila, has told RFI on Monday that it is out of the question that UDMR has any political discussion with PSD in order to endorse the Government. In his view, UDMR should not support a PSD minority government “under any circumstance”.

Deal with Pro Romania off. Dancila: Ponta is a two-faced liar

PSD has also held talks with Victor Ponta’s Pro Romania, but in the end, the PSD leadership has rejected the idea of co-opting Pro Romania in the ruling coalition, with PM Dăncilă and other PSD leaders harshly criticising Victor Ponta.

Former PM Victor Ponta has claimed on Facebook today that Viorica Dăncilă had been the one who asked for his help and would have proposed him that Pro Romania joins ruling. “She told me she is throwing ALDE out of the coalition and that she is giving Pro Romania as many ministries as I want”, Ponta said.

Pro Romania leader further stated he would have conditioned Viorica Dăncilă to accept several conditions in exchange for his support, including a Cabinet restructuring, an efficient and realistic ruling programme, economic stability and predictability. Ponta has also asked Dăncilă to give her candidacy for Cotroceni and to support a common PSD-ALDE-Pro Romania candidate.

Victor Ponta claims that Dăncilă has accepted all conditions, except for the one to drop her presidential candidature.

In retort,  Viorica Dăncilă said that Victor Ponts is a liar and has “a duplicitous style” and that’s why she did not want a collaboration with him anymore.

“Victor Ponta’s levity, his permanent desire to come forward by any means, including through lies, don’t mix well with PSD. He is a person unable to build something, he only knows to destroy. Crin Antonescu said very clearly the reason Ponta has destroyed USL: he always has a hidden agenda, tailored not on the country’s interests, but on his personal interests.

I won’t barter like that <you come in and we kick the others out>. This is not politics to me. If he used to make such deals all the time (including with Traian Basescu), without consulting his party fellows, only aiming at preserving his seat, I’d rather take decisions within the party. My colleagues have firmly voiced against an alliance with Pro Romania, and I know Victor Ponta very well,” Dăncilă posted on Facebook.