PSD President Sorin Grindeanu said in Neptun on Friday, when asked whether the decision in April to bring down the government through a no-confidence motion had been a mistake, that it had been ‘an extraordinarily good calculation’ because Prime Minister Ilie Bolojan had ‘poor management’ which ‘has driven us into economic collapse’.

‘It was an extraordinarily good calculation because (…) we can all now see Ilie Bolojan’s management, because I have nothing personal against him, nor does he have anything personal against me; the management and the way he has run the government are now there for all to see. It is plain to see: this is a government that has driven us into economic collapse, and that is why the Social Democratic Party decided to try to change course. Every Romanian can see that some people are clinging to power,’ Sorin Grindeanu said.

The Social Democrat leader added that if he had been in President Nicușor Dan’s place, he would probably have nominated a prime minister.

‘You’re asking me what I would do in his place? I don’t know, I don’t have that much information. I would probably make a nomination,’ Grindeanu replied when asked whether the head of state should nominate a prime minister even if there is no clearly established majority.

The PSD leader added that President Dan must make a nomination so that it can be seen whether the majority can be tested in Parliament. At the same time, Grindeanu reiterated that PSD had reaffirmed its willingness to govern, to have a minority government or a government centred around PSD.

‘It is something we have stated clearly and emphatically and something we want. We are the party with the largest number of MPs, not enough to have a majority, but we are repeating our desire today, here,’ Grindeanu stressed.

He also explained what a ‘government centred around PSD’ means.

‘A government centred around PSD means that to the 127 votes PSD currently has in the Senate and Chamber of Deputies are added at least another 106–107 votes, coming from other political quarters, which could come from minorities, which could, as I have said, come from other political quarters, and if they wish to join the government, then it is a government centred around PSD. If they want to vote for a PSD minority government and merely give it the investiture vote, then we are talking about a minority government,’ Grindeanu said.

The Social Democrat leader added that he was not currently ruling out the possibility of early elections.

‘You can never rule them out. I don’t believe it is a scenario that can be dismissed. Given that we are in this deadlock, it is one of the options. I don’t know whether it is the most desirable scenario, but perhaps at some point it may not even be avoidable. The Social Democratic Party is prepared for this scenario as well,’ Grindeanu said.

The PSD president was asked whether there was dissatisfaction within the party because the government crisis had lasted so long, given that he had allegedly promised them from the outset that it would end very quickly and that PSD would return to government.

‘But I don’t believe only my colleagues are dissatisfied. I am dissatisfied too. I am dissatisfied too, and I believe all Romanians are dissatisfied. If you remember, before we voted and held that internal consultation, I went to all the county organisations, together with the entire leadership, and briefed them—and I ask you to revisit what I said at the time—about all the possible scenarios we might face if the motion passed. So I am dissatisfied too. Every Romanian is dissatisfied that there is no government. But you should know that, however hard some may try to create divisions within the Social Democratic Party—we don’t have only friends, and some want to try to replicate in PSD what is happening in their parties—there are no factions in PSD at present,’ Sorin Grindeanu also stressed.

The Social Democrats’ president attended the TSD Political School in Neptun on Friday, where he also made statements to the press.

Source: AGERPRES