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National Liberal Party (PNL) Deputy Chairman, Prime Minister Florin Citu, said on Sunday that the National Liberal Party will emerge stronger from the internal competition entailed by the party's elections.
"I had a discussion before the decision to run for PNL national leader] with Mr Ludovic Orban. (...) There will be a competition inside the National Liberal Party from which the National Liberal Party will emerge stronger in the end. I've said I will win. The competition is just beginning, but of course M. Ludovic Orban has important experience inside PNL, as a politician, prime minister, and experience that we can always use to move forward. This is internal competition inside the National Liberal Party. I will assure the Liberals that, after I win, they will be proud of every moment that they are members of the National Liberal Party," Citu told a news conference on Sunday where he announced his candidacy for the PNL presidency.
Asked if he has anything to reproach Orban of, Citu replied: "No. I myself was part of his team, but now it is a competition for the future PNL. "
Regarding the existence of centres of power inside PNL, Citu said: "The centres of power will always exist, speaker of the Chamber of Deputies (...) is a function in Parliament, a legislative forum. The prime minister is the prime minister."
About the possible resignation of the one who loses the race for the PNL national leadership, Citu said: "It has nothing to do with it. This is a competition for the National Liberal Party."
Citu announced on Sunday his candidacy for the PNL presidency, saying that he will soon unveil his motion and the team with which he started on this path. Part of the team was in attendance at the conference where he announced his candidacy. He was accompanied by Deputy Prime Minister Raluca Turcan, Minister of National Defense Nicolae Ciuca, MEP Rares Bogdan, Deputy Chair of the Senate Alina Gorghiu, and Chairman of the Suceava County Council Gheorghe Flutur.
