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Incumbent national chairman of the National Liberal Party (PNL) Ludovic Orban told a convention on Sunday of the PNL National Council that he would run for party presidency out of a "deep sense of responsibility," noting that he had always been with the party members and viewed them with respect.
He said there were many in the party who tried to take a stand against him, adding that for every slap in the face he figuratively received, he turned the other cheek.
"The decision to run for the PNL presidency is a decision that was hard for me to make. I did not make it for my career goals, but I did it because I know that in the coming years there is a crucial time for PNL. I am just a man, a man who has risen through his hard work, through constant openness towards colleagues. You know about me that there is no PNL member who needs me, who wants to communicate with me who cannot talk to me. I have always looked respectfully on every member of PNL, regardless of the position in the party, and the greatest honour to me is the honour of being a member of the party," said Orban.
He added that PNL is his team and that he never made decisions alone, but in consultation with the party.
"The media told me, after the announcement of my friend and colleague Florin Citu, that there was no team behind me. My team is PNL, it is every member of PNL, regardless of whether I had different positions, because there is no other team than the PNL team. All those who have known me for 30 years, know that I have never made decisions alone, I have consulted with the PNL rank and file. In my promotion action I have tried to take into account the criteria of professionalism. Since becoming the national leader, the party has been enriched with people of fame, I have opened the doors to PNL. I have often made risky, courageous decisions on the edge. I am coming before you with my chin up and I am looking you in the eyes without any reason to look down," said Orban
He mentioned that under his leadership he had the objective for PNL to become the strongest political force in Romania.
"You elected me at the helm of PNL at a difficult time. I had only one goal: for PNL to become the strongest political force in Romania. We won the elections to the European Parliament, taking a risky decision, bringing Rares Bogdan to the head of the list, which helped the penetrating force of PNL. (...) We won the local elections, we prepared the elections meticulously, we made important decisions that led to us winning 17 county council chair offices. We did not win the general election, but you should ask yourselves why not. The Social Democratic Party (PSD) did not defeat us. We had to face the hardest post-December 1989 period (...) We went through a pandemic in Romania. (...) We did not manage to win because the pandemic beat us, not some political opponent. However, we managed to get to power. Of the four highest positions in the state, three belong to the PNL: President Klaus Iohannis, Prime Minister Florin Citu and myself, speaker of the Chamber of Deputies," added Orban.
He mentioned that the PNL still needs reorganisation, which is what he did during his term as national leader.
"I am running for a new term out of a deep sense of responsibility towards PNL and our common destiny. PNL still needs streamlining, opening its doors to valuable people, reform measures. We did these things during my tenure. (...) I want to conclude by telling you that during the four years in office, there are many who have not been with me, who have tried to position themselves against me, who have had other opinions and who have many times made decisions or influenced public communication, but for every slap in my face, I turned the other cheek," Orban said, adding that he has supported people in public office regardless of whether or not the people were against him.
Orban also said that inside PNL there is no "positioning crime."
"Each of us has the chance for a political position with one condition: not to harm PNL. Your destiny is in your hands; you, the members of PNL, you have your destiny in your hands, vote as you think is right and appropriate (...) We are the party with the richest history in the EU, we brought modernisation to Romania, we were with the Romanians during the hardest period in their history, and we have to stay that way," concluded Orban.
