The PSD president, Sorin Grindeanu, said on Saturday, in Târgoviște, that from the point of view of the social democrats, the Minister of the Environment, Diana Buzoianu, is “politically resigned” after passing a simple motion against him in Parliament. Grindeanu also stated that Romania needs real reforms in the public administration, such as the merging of administrative-territorial units and digitization, not massive layoffs.
“From the point of view of the PSD, Mrs. Buzoianu was dismissed on the first motion”, stated Grindeanu, saying that the Parliament’s vote must be treated as a clear signal by the Prime Minister. The statements were made in Târgoviște, during a press conference organized after the Sud-Muntenia regional meeting.
Grindeanu explained that, in his opinion, a responsible prime minister should take into account both the result of simple motions and the votes of parliamentary committees when hearing ministers.
Signal for the Government: “Don’t play with the Parliament’s vote”
The PSD leader insisted that ignoring such a vote could affect the functioning of the coalition.
“Any prime minister who is in office and has a signal of this type must take it into account. I tell you that you are not playing around. From the experience I had, for example, if you do not pass the hearings within the commissions, when you are nominated as a minister, it does not mean that you cannot continue to remain in the team proposed by the prime minister. It is the same procedure. But a responsible prime minister must take into account the vote of the Parliament. If he failed at the hearings in the Parliament, for example, must urgently change the respective list. If the simple motion passes, it is an important signal that you cannot ignore and which, normally, leads to certain changes”. he declared.
He specified that the PSD did not ask for the change of the portfolio held by the USR, but believes that the political responsibility must be assumed.
Criticisms of governance and examples of crisis
Grindeanu gave as an example a critical situation in Dâmbovița county, where more than 100,000 people were left without drinking water during the winter holidays, accusing the authorities of the lack of reaction.
“All these things lead to the stupid behavior of a coalition and in the end there is a reckoning”, said the PSD leader.
PSD decides its future in the coalition
The PSD president announced that the party has started internal consultations to decide whether or not to remain in government. The final decision would be taken after the completion of the regional meetings around April 20.
Grindeanu, about fuel prices: “The speed of the Executive must be increased. The PSD has no pleasure in publicly calling out the Government”
“I do not consult for outsiders. We will primarily vote for ourselves, for PSD (…) We do not make these decisions for PNL, USR and UDMR”, Grindeanu emphasized.
He reiterated that PSD rules out an alliance with AUR and that it will not support a minority government.
PNL reaction: “A political adventure”
The first vice-president of the National Liberal Party, Ciprian Ciucu, criticized the PSD leader’s position, calling it “a political adventure” and asking for the resumption of dialogue in the coalition.
Ciucu warned that, in the event of PSD leaving the government, the liberals will no longer form a new coalition with the social democrats. “We can’t play with coalitions”, warned Ciucu, specifying that the PNL will not become “a PSD hinge in the government”.
PSD demands real reforms, not layoffs
Sorin Grindeanu also stated that Romania needs real reforms in the public administration, such as the merger of administrative-territorial units and digitization, not massive layoffs. “Until then, we are talking about a sick joy, from my point of view, of some to fire people and reduce their salaries. This is not reform”, argued Grindeanu.
He criticized the current policies of reducing staff and wages, stating that they do not represent reforms, but “a mass layoff.”
“Romania needs a reform of the local public administration. The reform does not mean firing people, the reform is, first of all, related to public services. I can fire all the employees of a town hall, but the question that remains is whether that town hall still provides decent public services for the citizens? I say no. Are we talking about the reform of the local public administration? Well then we have to talk, perhaps, about mergers of UATs, about digitalization. Then we are barely talking about reforms. Until then, we are talking about a sick joy, from my point of view, of firing people and reducing their salaries. This is simply a mass dismissal.” said Grindeanu.
Negative economic signals
The PSD leader drew attention to some worrying economic indicators, such as inflation close to 10%, the loss of more than 50,000 jobs in the private sector in the last six months and the decrease in industrial production by 16%.
“We have to do something, because it is our responsibility, the PSD, the largest party in the coalition, to try to do things differently, to make them better not for the PSD, but for the Romanians. Because, for the Romanians, things are not looking good at this time”, Grindeanu said.
