Prime Minister-designate Adrian Vestea said on Sunday that that for the formation of the government he relies first of all on the support of the Liberals, mentioning that there are capable people in the National Liberal Party (PNL) who can be part of the new executive and does not start from the idea that the party will divide into camps.
"I avoided and I avoid believing today that PNL will be divided into two camps. We have to treat things with maturity, with responsibility, because this is a junction, we have 40 days of interim. What I am doing for PNL and for Romania, because I will respect the lines that existed in the governing agenda and I would like to have a serious presence from my colleagues both in the government and as political support because the country needs this situation at this moment. I don't think we should keep procrastinating and blaming others. I think it's the fault of each of us that this situation has been reached, and now we have to treat things responsibly and that's what I will do," Vestea told Antena 3 CNN on Sunday.
Asked if PNL will break up, he said that he does not want to make such anticipations.
"I believe that tomorrow I will have the strength to be able to convince them to put the country first, to treat this moment responsibly and to be by my side. I think it is not fair for a party to be pushed into the arms of a coalition in which you do not take your colleagues and at the same time want to make reforms and want to close all these programmes that Romania is being implemented today," added Vestea.
He also said that he made the decision to accept the position of prime minister-designate on Saturday evening.
"It was a decision taken after discussions with the President of Romania who, by the way, also has the responsibility of nominating a prime minister. I still have every conviction that this government will pass. I think it is important and necessary to treat responsibly, and I have done this, I have assumed this situation that is not a comfortable situation, I will walk through, I can assure all those who today try to discourage me in one way or another."
The prime minister-designate stressed that he relies first of all on the support of the Liberals.
"I am convinced that it is necessary for the National Liberal Party to show responsibility at this moment. I think there are capable people in the National Liberal Party who can be part of the government, who can join, they can come into this government, they can be monitored and they can report to the party quarterly or half-yearly, so that I can demonstrate that in fact everything I have spoken and everything I talk about in my political career are things based on realities, and I have fulfilled the mandate I have assumed every time, these are not empty words," Vestea added .
He said that he does not criticise the decision of the Save Romania Union (USR) not to support him for the formation of the government, noting that he did not have direct discussions with USR, as President Nicusor Dan is "much more able" to hold all these discussions.
"It is the right of each political party to have and to consult its governing bodies, the important thing is to know in which direction we are going, to see what will happen to the country next. I believe that today there are all kinds of states and each one manifests their will in one way or another. (...) I didn't have direct discussions with USR, I think that the President of Romania is much better able than me to have all these discussions, taking into account the fact that he has a lot of former colleagues who are in USR, a lot of people who were involved in the electoral campaigns, both at the level of the general mayor's office, as much as at the level of President of Romania and I think that in the end there will be, even if the vote is unanimous, there will be moments of realism and moments when they don't say that they actually have something with Adrian Vestea, they have to think about what they have to do with this country."
Regarding the fact that the Hungarian Democratic Union of Romania (UDMR) postponed the decision for Monday, Vestea said that he had a good collaboration with UDMR and that responsibility is needed.
"All pro-Western parties are expected to provide support to this government. I have all the openness for each party. I believe that we must put the interest of the country above all else and have a government as soon as possible. And to be in the government, obviously, as long as it is a political government, they will be in the government and will provide support."
Vestea added that the situation, from the point of view of arithmetic in the Romanian Parliament, does not allow a government by pro-Western forces without the Social Democratic Party (PSD), saying that he voted in 2021 for PNL not to enter the governemnt with PSD .
He also said that he will have discussions on Monday on the government list.
"After tomorrow we will complete the discussions within the National Liberal Party, after we will see the position of the UDMR and, why not, a revision of the position of the USR, I am convinced that we can sit down at the table and identify the best specialists, the best people for the portfolios we should have in the future government."
The prime minister-designate also mentioned that he will have consultations and discussions while there will be openess, noting that he wants the parties from the former coalition to be at the table again.
"I would not want to exclude any form of dialogue, I think good ideas can come from everyone."
The PNL leadership convenes today to discuss the situation that resulted from the party's first deputy chairman being designated the new prime minister of Romania.
