USR PLUS: United Romania – proposal on agreement for preparing responsible governance in 2020

USR and PLUS leaders, Dan Barna and Dacian Ciolos, have launched an appeal to all political forces in view of cooperation which should lead to finding solutions to the failed governance of the current parliamentary majority and for preparing a viable alternative to governance in 2020.

In a release, the two leaders say the USD-PLUS 2020 Alliance is involved in serious political negotiations, for building a political project, based on clear functioning rules, with open developments to assign the best candidates for Romania. “We believe that the good faith forces – be them political, academic and civil society – could join us for such a project, so that we offer the electorate the best option,” the release reads, according to digi24.ro.

This is the result of the results of the EP election on May 26 and of the surveys conducted so far, they say.

“In order to capitalize this opportunity, Romania needs a democratic and pro-European political force able to lead to profound changes, with stress laid on economic development and on offering a chance for durable welfare to all citizens,” the leaders also say.

Proposals for public policies

• The Opposition needs to understand the need for unity and political coherence, to offer certain options to the electorate, which should prevent and limit political fragmentation;
• Presidential election will be the second step, after the EP election, by which we start the change of political logic. We propose a positive campaign, with guarantees to continue the fight against corruption, to support reforms, the strategic development options in education, health and infrastructure;
• For local elections, the Opposition needs to cooperate and find the best options to win in all villages, towns and counties, by offering well prepared candidates for the positions of mayor, local counselors and county counselors;
• For general elections, the Opposition should propose competent and honest candidates, so that it gets a decisive vote that would allow building a majority and a sound governance for at least four years;
• Constitutional reform should lay stress to depoliticize the institutions that offer balance and democracy to the Romanian state and to turn the initiative called ‘no criminal offenders in public offices’ into constitutional norms;
• Repair of damages made by the current parliamentary majority to the judiciary and bringing it to European standards;
• Electoral reform – two round for local elections;
• Reform of the central and local administration, flexible and functional government;
• Cutting of inefficient budget expenditures in administration, elimination of special pensions, reform of the local development plan, of ANAF and CNAIR;
• Fair taxation of labour, with stress laid on productivity and support for entrepreneurship;
• Education and health to be on the list of strategic objectives;
• Major stress to be laid on the development of road, railway and airway infrastructure, as part of the solution to develop the economy;
• Absorption of the European funds to the maximum potential;
• Reform of legislation on intelligence services to prevent them from getting involved in political games;
• Streamlining and regulating the public procurement, tougher penalties for corruption and tax evasion;
• Upgrading and endowment of the Army according to the commitments as NATO member;
• Public policies to eradicate poverty in some areas of Romania and for certain social categories, with stress laid on new jobs and reducing tax on labour;
• Entrepreneurial policies to make Romanian economy less dependent on the state;
• Public policies on landscaping, in view of increasing the sustainability of the built environment, in line with the commitments of the European community;
• Cutting red tape and digitization of interaction with public services at all administrative levels;
• Investments in agriculture to revitalize small farmers, building food distribution networks and support for the Romanian villages;
• Achieving the European interconnection in the field of energy and strengthening the energy independence through retechnologization and the intelligent restructuring of the energy complexes, start of the exploitation of the Black Sea gas deposits;
• Revision of parliamentary and ministerial immunity in its current form;
• Reform of parliamentary procedures.