PNL's Orban: Ciolos's attack seems odd, does PSD a service

Chairman of the National Liberal Party (PNL, opposition, ed. n.) Ludovic Orban stated on Sunday evening that the attack of Dacian Ciolos (former prime minister, founder of Romania Together Movement, ed.n.) against the Liberals is odd, affirming that this does a service to the Social Democratic Party (PSD, major at rule, ed.n.). 

"These are accusations sprung out of the blue. (...) I find this attack very odd. PNL is carrying the weight of the fight against PSD. Ever since becoming the party's leader we have been in a bayonet charge with the government majority, a fight that is extremely difficult because we are not fighting against democratic political parties, that put into practice a governing programme, that try to enforce public policies in various domains, we are fighting against a government coalition whose sole objective is to overcome the Romanian state, the state's institutions. (...) PNL is going to great lengths, with many outcomes. This coalition is trying to amend legislation in Justice, the Criminal Code and the Criminal Procedure Code and they have been trying for two years but they haven't succeeded because they have come up against a wall made up of President Klaus Iohannis and PNL. If someone who says they are against PSD is attacking the main force battling PSD it means they are doing PSD a service," Orban said at private TV broadcaster B1 TV. 

He said Ciolos's statements are "words uttered due to a lack of the political phenomenon", labeling this political gesture as "odd, showing a possible hidden agenda." 

"It is a strange attack from someone who, throughout his political career didn't put up his nose for example when he was Minister of Agriculture and say that PNL is an obsolete party, didn't put up his nose when PNL backed him and ran for prime minister. It suddenly came to him now that both President Iohannis and PNL are involved in an extremely difficult war, in a fight that is uneven most of the times, because we are dealing with a parliamentary majority and a control over many of the state's institutions and especially with a power that is not sensitive to any democratic principle, that does not accept the debate, that does not accept under any circumstance the points of view of the society and in the middle of this fight, to suddenly have someone who says he is in the opposition talk, it seems completely senseless and unfair toward PNL," Ludovic Orban said. 

The National Liberal Party finds itself within the old political class sphere, maintains the founding president of Romania Together Movement, Dacian Ciolos who says that the Liberals refuse to join the formation he is part of "in a profound reformation project of the Romanian society, with emphasis on welfare." 

"Unfortunately, I say with great regret, PNL finds itself within the old political class sphere and obstinately refuses to reform itself and join us in a profound reformation project of the Romanian society. A project focusing on welfare. They are waiting for PSD to fall naturally and take their place. The experience in 1996 with CDR [the Romanian Democratic Convention, ed.n.] and in 2004 with DA Alliance showed us that this model does not work," Ciolos wrote on Facebook.