Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu has announced that as of Monday, he will invite the leaders of the political parties to discuss the presidential elections calendar, arguing that the „bickering” on this issue affects the trust between partners and must stop.

„I am glad that so far, the government work has not been affected by political tensions, not even in the election campaign that has just ended, because we all understood that this government does not belong to the coalition or to any political party, it is the Romanian Government. All of us here, regardless of which party we belong to, have a huge responsibility to ensure the stability of this country, and that includes keeping one’s commitment. It is not about one election time frame or another, it is about trust. The calendar bickering is undermining this trust between partners and, in my view, it must stop,” the prime minister said on Friday morning at the start of the government meeting.

He announced consultations with the parties starting Monday, „this is the right approach” and not „changing a minister who has been imposed by his own party to initiate a normative act”.

„As prime minister of Romania, I have the obligation not to favor one party or coalition. Today, we are practically moving away from the previously established electoral calendar, being the last day in which we can promote the HG [government decision] setting the agreed election date on September 15. That is why, as of Monday, together with the two deputy prime ministers, I will invite the leaders of all political parties to set the election calendar together. This is the right approach, and not changing a minister who has been told by his own party not to initiate a previously agreed piece of legislation. I will not respond to provocations to trigger a governmental crisis and instability in Romania,” prime minister Marcel Ciolacu said.

AGERPRES