Liberal leader Orban: 'Party holds regular meetings with President Klaus Iohannis'

Chairman of the National Liberal Party (PNL) Ludovic Orban said on Monday that the party holds regular meetings with President Klaus Iohannis, but emphasized that this is no constitutional ground to move for the suspension of the head of the state from office.

"We will not brief you about every meeting, we see each other regularly and communicate. It is important to have communication, a coordination of positions, together we support what we think is good for Romania and I believe that the President of Romania enjoys an enhanced importance at the time the country holds the Presidency of the Council, because he is currently the leader with the highest credibility in the EU and virtually the only one capable of improving Romania's image that has been seriously damaged by the actions of the PSD-ALDE ruling alliance," Orban said when asked about his meetings with the head of the state.

Orban also stressed that this is not a constitutional ground to suspend the President, as unlike PSD's 'father' Ion Iliescu, President Iohannis has never urged a particular way of voting and consultations with the party he has formerly led and which backed him in elections are normal, added Orban.

Regarding the organization of a referendum on justice on the same day with the elections to the European Parliament, the PNL Chairman said: "For now, the matter is before the Constitutional Court and we will discuss is after the latter hands down a decision."

"The referendum is the ultimate form of democracy and the citizens' opinion on an important subject for the evolution of democracy can be sought any time. (...) If the President has an intention in this regard, I am sure he will announce it. The PNL has a fair, normal partnership with him, established through the commitments we undertook when he won the position of President, running as a candidate of PNL. We definitely coordinate our positions and support each other," added Ludovic Orban.

Read also: Gabriel Les: 'Bt allocating 2pct of GDP to Defence in 2017, 2018, we are on right track'

The PNL Chairman Ludovic Orban and several senior party members met last week with President Klaus Iohannis.

"The main theme of the meeting was the unfolding of the Presidency of the Council of the EU, Romania's priorities at European level, ways whereby I, as PNL Chairman, can support the various priorities on the agenda through the good relations we have inside the EPP group. (...) We also discussed what we consider to be important about the European events to be held in Romania. There will be a meeting with the EPP group in the Committee of the Regions, there will be an EPP group meeting, most likely on the sidelines of European Council. Not a word has been said about the list for the European Parliament election or any other related topic, as certain sources falsely claimed," Orban said.

AGERPRES .