Chairman of the Hungarian Democratic Union of Romania (UDMR) Kelemen Hunor said that the draft budget could be sent to Parliament next week and debated in the plenary meeting between 15 and 17 March if the coalition reaches an agreement on this matter on Wednesday.

Asked in Parliament whether, if talks proceed well on Wednesday, the budget would be sent to the legislature next week, the UDMR leader replied: „No. If we reach an agreement tomorrow, then the draft will go to Parliament next Wednesday, because they need a week for certain procedures, consultations, the CES [Economic and Social Council] and so on. That means the budget will arrive in Parliament on Wednesday and discussions will probably begin two or three days later, since it must first be examined in the committee, and around 15, 16, 17 March it could enter plenary debate. If we reach an agreement tomorrow and if internal procedures, approvals and everything that needs to be done in the Government begin tomorrow.”

In respect to the main disagreements over the budget or the points still to be discussed, Kelemen Hunor mentioned that there are two major aspects: „Yesterday, where we failed to reach agreement was on equalisation and on investments. Those were the two major issues. The rest are smaller matters.”

According to him, the Social Democrats (PSD members) will not block the budget in Parliament. „I do not believe the PSD will block it,” Kelemen Hunor said, adding that he would not comment on discussions taking place within the PSD.

Asked whether the UDMR supports Ilie Bolojan, he reiterated that as long as Bolojan is backed by the National Liberal Party (PNL), „there is no other prime minister.”

„Ilie Bolojan is the prime minister we have supported and, if the PNL supports him, then Ilie Bolojan… So, it does not depend on the PSD, nor on the UDMR, nor on the USR [the Save Romania Union]. It depends only on the PNL. I have said a thousand times that this question makes no sense. As long as the PNL supports Ilie Bolojan, there is no other prime minister,” the UDMR leader underscored.

AGERPRES