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Co-chair of the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats (ALDE) Calin Popescu-Tariceanu said Monday in the western city of Oradea that the society should join forces around a country project that will make Romania Europe's seventh economic power. ''I want Romania to get even closer to the European average and even join the competition against other European countries. In terms of Gross Domestic Product (GDP) size, Romania is ranked 17th in Europe, despite ranking 7th in terms of area and population size. But, in terms of wellbeing, of per capita GDP, Romania is Europe's second poorest country. We cannot do anything but unite our forces around a major project, a country project, as I call it, to turn Romania into Europe's 7th largest economy,'' Tariceanu told a news conference on Monday.
He added that ALDE's electoral message is underpinned by increased wellbeing for the citizens, which he argued can be ''secured long term and sustainably'' only by economic growth. ''We are greatly emphasising the investment component, which is today completely neglected by the incumbent government. The wellbeing of the citizens cannot be achieved by promises of hundred percent pay increases twice a year, as I see some parties competing for, among which, regretfully, the National Liberal Party (PNL) is sticking up," said Tariceanu.
He added that he trusts this desideratum of Romania's becoming European Union's 7th economy and the Romanians' wellbeing increasing can be achieved under a country project, the same as Romania's accession to the EU and NATO did before. ''When I took over the prime minister's office, I believe 90 percent of Romania's citizens would not dare bet a penny on Romania's entering the EU on January 1, 2007, because the country was lagging badly. But, in two years' time, thanks to a coordinated effort on my part, on the part of the Government and all other state bodies, we managed to fulfil the accession conditions and criteria. That told me something: that, when mobilised around an important objective, Romania is capable of making an effort. That is how I believe we will become Europe's seventh economy. It is not an impossible target, but achieving it takes the shared efforts of the entire society, instead of divisions between Left and Right or along any other lines. (...) That is my dream, which I would like to achieve not just for myself, but also for the coming generations. I want us to offer the younger generations a future they want here in their country, not abroad,'' said Tariceanu.
