Orban says he will not leave politics, even though PM Citu already `retired him

The chairman of the National Liberal Party (PNL), Ludovic Orban, says that he does not intend to leave politics and that he is only taking into account that he will win the internal elections, even though Florin Citu "retired" him when referring to the "ugly way" in which the current party leader "chose to leave politics".

"It is enough to look, if they did not delete their posts, on Facebook alone many colleagues were against me, where they attacked me as if they were from the PSD (Social Democratic Party) area. Despite this, I maintained a balanced message. Even the Prime Minister had excesses, let us recall ourselves (...) He retired me, he said that I chose an ugly way of leaving politics. But, wait, did he bring me into politics so that he can say when I will exit?! He decides who enters and who exits politics?! Has he no shame? I've been in PNL for 31 years, I dedicated my life to promoting liberal ideas, serving the interests of PNL and Romania's interest and there comes a man, who is fresh, who had to obtain an exception, where I also voted the exception, just so that you can see that I was not against the candidate, I also voted the exception, but the ink had not even dried yet, he did not even have five years experience and he is making the rules, he decides when and how Ludovic Orban leaves politics! That was truly disturbing," the PNL chairman said, on Thursday evening, for the private broadcaster B1 TV.

Orban added that he had "a very good relationship with Florin Citu up to the point when he submitted his candidacy".

"I did not want such a competition because it was obvious that it would divide the party," Ludovic Orban said.

He added that "there is no secret for anyone that in three months the losing team had brought down the party by 8% in the voting tendency".

Orban also said that he will not be leaving the political stage and regarding the internal elections, he said that he is only taking into account that he will win a new term as PNL chairman, and the first step he will take will be to form a negotiating team with the co-chairpersons of USR PLUS (Save Romania Union - Party of Liberty, Unity and Solidarity alliance) for the latter alliance's returning to government.