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The Save Romania Union (USR) will never vote for "a government captured by PSD [Social Democrat Party]," said, on Tuesday, the chair of the formation, Dacian Ciolos, at the Palace of the Parliament, adding that "this situation was reached due to the weakness of PNL leaders and with the approval of President Iohannis."
"USR remains, starting today, the only pro-European force that truly desires the modernization of Romania and which fights against clientelism and bad governance which impoverishes the population and that's why, I want it to be very clear, the USR will never vote for a government captured by PSD, because this will cost Romanians dearly. We will not be deceived in any way by what PSD represented," said Ciolos.
He said this situation was reached due to the "weakness of PNL leaders and with the approval of President Iohannis."
"PNL spoke of reforms and modernizing the country, but gave no signs that it actually wants to put it in practice and make reforms together with the USR. We got here not because the USR was not flexible enough, but because USR did not accept taking from old parties this theme of lying and hypocrisy," Ciolos added.
Dacian Ciolos said that, unfortunately, "PNL ran from assuming reforms and went to find a solution there where it probably feels more comfortable."
"I don't think there will be pressure from the PSD to introduce in the governing programme the depolitization of public administration and its professionalization, profound reforms to help the business environment, transparency in public spending. So, the PNL did not desire these reforms, because if they wanted them, we could've made them together," said the USR leader.
According to him, for the USR there is no other solution than "resistance to this PNL-PSD party."
"You saw that all the chicanes in government and the hindrances made to our ministers had, it seems, this purpose: to remove USR from Government and to go together with the PSD. I have a great regret that the citizens, in these trying times, must go through such political disappointments. I received signals since yesterday to be open and to go govern with the PNL (...) but, unfortunately, there is no other solution for us than resistance to this PNL-PSD party, which seems to be forming today and which, in fact, in one way or another, has led Romania in the past 30 years," Ciolos added.
Ciolos mentioned that his party will be faithful to the mandate assumed in front of citizens.
"We will oppose any sort of abuses from this toxic alliance. We will oversee and we will denounce the discretionary spending of public money (...) we will follow how projects started by our ministers are put in practice, [also those] in reform, hospital construction, motorways. We will ensure that the reforms in the PNRR [National Recovery and Resilience Plan] will not be stopped. (...) We will do all that's in our power to ensure that this programme does not become a clientelist source for this PNL-PSD party because something seems to have attracted this agreement to be restored and probably the feel and taste of money, but the PNRR is not done to fuel the clientele's pockets, but to promote reforms in Romania. (...) We will also oppose clientelism, and the politization of the state," said the USR leader.
USR will be organized so that in 2024 it is an alternative force to this government, he announced.
"The USR is a party which wants to keep Romania still on its pro-European path and not sliding towards illiberalism, as this risk is not excluded (...) USR remains faithful to the objectives for which we entered politics, so that Romania can look better and its citizens feel good living here," Ciolos stated, Agerpres informs.
