The REPER Renewing Romania’s European Project party leadership on Thursday announced its resignation following the June 9 elections, and convened the National Council of the party to establish the political guidelines moving forward, revalidating Ramona Strugariu and Dragos Pislaru as co-chairs.

At the same time, the REPER National Council talked about the need for pro-European and democratic opposition forces to coalesce around a common platform, with the same political manifesto and joint lists of candidates for the autumn elections. REPER will appoint a negotiating team led by the REPER co-chairs to immediately start discussions with the new Save Romania Union (USR) leadership, as well as with independent candidates and other pro-European parties, in order to establish an electoral alliance and identify the best representation formula in the autumn elections.

Strugariu said that REPER managed, with limited resources, to substantially increase its visibility, winning two mayor’s offices and 59 councillor’s offices.

„We passed the first elections by our own forces. We did not manage to reach the threshold at the European election, but the REPER party managed in just a few months, with limited resources, to substantially increase its name recognition and to gain, in the European Parliament elections, the trust of over 334,000 Romanians. Neither the combination of the elections just a few months before the deadline, nor the substantial electoral changes or electoral fraud stopped us. Let’s move on. I understood the message of our voters, who want the unity of Romania’s democratic, reforming forces. We are open to these alliances and ready to close ranks. At the parliamentary and presidential elections, we must clearly show that Romania is not the country of Ciolacu or of the Putin fans. The coming years will be decisive for its democratic and European direction. We will defend it to the end,” said Strugariu.

The decisions of the National Council mark a moment of balance and strengthen REPER’s will to consolidate and represent in the next elections all Romanians who want a policy with serious and professional people, said Dragos Pislaru.
„We are entering the home stretch for the next rounds of elections where we will make sure that REPER remains a party close to the people, with a balance between economic and social policies and especially with viable solutions to the problems faced by the country. As an important step in this direction, we decided yesterday to strengthen the partnership and collaboration with civil society and the entrepreneurial community by offering and making available the candidacies for the Romanian Senate to these communities. Also, REPER decided to create the REPER Senate as a standing consultative department e for liaison with civil society/the entrepreneurial community. We believe that both the coalescence of the pro-European and reformist political forces, as well as the broad partnership with the society are not only expected by the electorate, but also critical conditions for defending democracy from populism and extremism,” said Pislaru.

AGERPRES