The PNL remains the main right-wing force, and the liberals will not leave the „ship of government”, PNL MEP Rareș Bogdan announced on Monday.

„The PNL results are some that confirm that the PNL remains the main right-wing force in Romania, with a percentage of over 28% in the political vote, a matter that honours us and at the same time obliges us for what will follow in the next period of this electoral year. Of course, for us, who a year ago were quoted at 14 percent, the doubling of the electoral percentage in the political vote proves that Romanians have made the right choice based on our achievements, both at the centre and in the territory, in the municipalities and counties led by Liberals”, said Rareș Bogdan at the PNL headquarters.

He said that the PNL currently has more than 13,000 local councillors, more than 500 county councillors and, „very importantly”, the PNL has regained its strongholds in Sector 1 Bucharest, Brasov, by a difference of more than 4,000 votes, and also „entered the heart of Romania’s „red zone” and won the city of Slatina.

„Also, a very short time ago the parallel count was completed and we won Botoșani. (…) At this moment, the votes are being counted and recounted in Bistrita, where the PNL seemed to have lost the mayoralty by five votes very recently. (…) We are analysing the appeal for Bistrita. Also, the score in Vrancea for the presidency of the County Council is less than 0.26% in favour of the PSD, and the PNL has asked for a recount in Vrancea. After counting the votes it is clear that in Iasi, despite the most miserable campaign against the County Council President and the mayor, the PNL remains the most important political force in the capital (…) We are the winners of these elections, as we managed to increase from 14 percent to 28. The political vote – we kept 2.3 million voters,” the MEP stressed.

He added that the PNL entered these elections with 1,067 mayoralties, and at this moment „the PNL is sure with more than 1,200 mayoralties, so it came out strengthened with 130 mayoralties”, the mayoralties won being „very big”.

„The PNL is still the main political force, the only political force capable of beating the PSD,” Bogdan added.

Asked if there was a possibility that the PNL would leave the government, he pointed out that „the PNL is a responsible party, and its leader Nicolae Ciucă is an extremely serious man, extremely balanced, rational, a man who does not throw the country into chaos for petty political calculations”.

„We have fought for Romania to remain stable, for Romania to reach an absorption of European money of over 90% (…) We will not create imbalance and chaos in Romania just for petty electoral calculations. So the PNL is not leaving the government, to make this extremely clear to everyone. The PNL is not leaving the government’s ship and the PNL will analyse, in the coming days, together with our leaders in the country, each situation in turn, both where we have lost and where we have won”, he added.

Rareș Bogdan added that Gheorghe Flutur, who lost the elections in Suceava, has no reason to withdraw.

„He has no reason to. Mr Flutur is a man who received 47% of the vote. When you win 47% and lose by less than 1,000 votes you have no reason to resign. Gheorghe Flutur remains a man of great political experience, extremely necessary for the PNL.”

For the European Parliament, the MEP also pointed out, the PNL has „eight safe seats” and, at this moment, at the final vote count, it is possible to get, at the redistribution, „depending on the result on independents, SOS and UDMR”, a ninth mandate.

Rareș Bogdan also pointed out that the political family to which the PNL belongs – the European People’s Party (EPP) – is winning the European Parliament elections „in force” in the 27 European countries, with 191 seats out of a total of 720.

„I want to congratulate the Romanians for the strong message they have given against extremism. Extremists in Romania have no place, and in Brussels, Washington, Tel Aviv, London, Paris, Rome this signal will be reiterated, it will be reinforced by the PNL representatives, by the Romanian representatives, because in only 11 European countries extremists had substantial scores or came second in the elections – France, Italy, Hungary, Belgium, Austria, Slovakia, second place in Germany, Slovenia. So the PNL and Romanians are showing very clearly that they say ‘no’ to extremism”, said the liberal.

AGERPRES