After election of parliamentary leaders, Speaker Orban cries out purge

Chairman of the National Liberal Party (PNL) Ludovic Orban, who seeks a new term at the party's helm, said today that the MPs who signed the motion for his bid for party leader have been replaced in the Parliament's leading positions and claimed that this "looks like a purge".

"All the deputies and senators who signed my motion have been replaced in the leading positions of the Chamber of Deputies and the Senate. I see that the balance that should ensure the coherent functioning of the parliamentary groups, by having all party currents represented, has been broken in a move that looks like a purge over the political support provided to me. Today's victory is a pyrrhic victory for the Citu camp and shows that those who advise the Prime Minister do not understand how parliamentary groups work and how their consistency and unitary action can be ensured. As far as I am concerned, today is a day when those who rushed to grab some positions have supplanted many of my colleagues. Just think that Laurentiu Leoreanu garnered 42 votes in his bid for Chamber Deputy Speaker, while Virgil Guran got 18 votes out of 40 for Senate floor leader. The existence of this balance always requires a discussion, a negotiation and not an attempt to seize all positions and remove the colleagues who back my bid for PNL Chairman from all positions of representation and House leadership," Orban said at the House of Parliament.

He added that the vote in the parliamentary groups will not affect the campaign for PNL leader.

"I continue my campaign with the same determination, with the same dedication for PNL, with the same message of upping the governmental performance and ensuring a government capable of improving the life of Romanians," Orban said.

In his turn, Prime Minister Florin Citu argued that those candidates were elected who have delivered and that the PNL sitting Chairman is overdoing it.

"The elected candidates are all people who delivered. Mrs. Senate Vice Chairperson Gorghiu has proven that she is very good in this position, Mr. Neagu has a very good and extensive experience and he has also won [the position of Senate deputy floor leader]. As regards the treasurer positions, Mr. Tapu Nazare is a long-standing lawmaker who has previously served as treasurer, if I am correct, so these are all seasoned people. In the Chamber of Deputies, Mr. Florin Roman, a former floor leader, has won the seat of Deputy Speaker due to his political experience in Parliament. In the fight with PSD we need in the Romanian Parliament people well acquainted with the procedures, people who know how to battle in Parliament, people capable of supporting PNL's projects in Parliament. (...) [Calling this a purge] is an exaggeration, this has been done before. What should we do now, cry 'purge' whenever the structure of the Standing Bureau changes? No. This is the vote of our colleagues and it's a shame that the sitting PNL Chairman does not respect the vote of the Senators. This is an independent vote. People have their own will and vote independently," Citu said.