The European People’s Party (EPP) Group in the European Parliament condemned on Tuesday the decision of the Romanian Social Democratic Party (PSD) not to back pro-European candidate Nicusor Dan in the presidential runoff, while appreciating at the same time the decision of the National Liberal Party and of the Hungarian Democratic Union of Romania to support him.

The PSD „failed to show its commitment to European values”, the EPP Group said in a release.

The decision of Romania’s Social Democratic Party is simply unacceptable. I expect a clear commitment on their part to support the only pro-European candidate. In the face of growing extremism across Europe, there is no room for political games, declared President of the EPP Group Manfred Weber as cited in the release.

„Romania plays an essential role within the European Union, particularly as far as the Union’s security is concerned, being a state that shares the border with Ukraine. An anti-European, populist and extremist candidate such as George Simion, who is banned from entering both Ukraine and the Republic of Moldova, represents a threat not only to the security of Romania, but also to the entire European Union,” said Liberal MEP Siegfried Muresan, Vice-President of the EPP Group.

The EPP Group fully supports the decision of the EPP member parties – the National Liberal Party and the Hungarian Democratic Union of Romania – to support Nicusor Dan. The real commitment of a political party to European values is proven by concrete decisions at important moments like this, not just by declarations or pompous wording in the party’s internal documents, Weber and Muresan said in conclusion, according to the release.

The EPP Group is the largest political group in the European Parliament, counting 188 members.

AGERPRES