The four rounds of elections give trouble to the big parties in Romania, especially those from Putere.
The European parliamentary and local elections raise problems for the Coalition parties. Photo: Mediafax
No head of the list at the European Parliament
Although the PSD-PNL promoted Ramona Chiriac, the head of the European Commission Representation in Romania, as the head of the list for the European Parliament, she suddenly withdrew, citing personal reasons. The Adevǎrul sources claim, however, that the withdrawal is related to the claims they would have raised. More precisely, it would be about a position of European commissioner, the request being met with a categorical refusal. Thus, PSD-PNL must find a person who will be the locomotive of the Alliance, the variant considered by PSD being Mihai Tudose.
However, PSD and PNL finalized the rest of the list. Thus, the liberals will go to the European Parliament with: Rareș Bogdan, Dan Motreanu, Adina Vălean, Daniel Buda, Siegfried Mureșan, Mircea Hava, Gheorghe Falcă, Virgil Popescu, Alexandru Muraru and Mara Mareș. According to “Adevărul” information, in the Coalition the seats received by the PNL are 3, 5, 7, 9, 12, 14, 16, 20, 21, 23. In the case of the liberals, Gheorghe Falcă, MEP and former mayor of Arad, is the last , through his position on the list, i.e. the 16th place, would get a mandate in the European Parliament.
PSD will have on the list: Mihai Tudose, Gabriela Firea, Claudiu Manda, Vasile Dîncu, Victor Negrescu, Maria Grapini, Dragoș Benea, Gheorghe Cârciu, Dan Nica, Ștefan Mușoiu, Roxana Mânzatu and Andi Cristea.
Criticism for Cîrstoiu
Another problem of the Coalition, in the context of the elections, is the candidate for the Capital City Hall, in the person of the doctor Cătălin Cîrstoiu. The designation of the manager of the University Hospital as a joint candidate for the most important administration in Romania has caused discontent both in the PNL and in the PSD, Rareș Bogdan and Robert Negoițǎ being among the protestors. The public discontent among the formations was suppressed, but criticism continued to flow from outside the Coalition. While Nicușor Dan, the main counter-candidate of the PSD-PNL, stated that the doctor does not represent the PNL electorate, but rather that of the PSD, Eduard Hellvig, former head of the SRI, circulated after his retirement from the intelligence service as an option for May many public positions, he characterized Cîrstoiu as a “candidate removed from the job”, who “doesn't scare or scare anyone”.
At the same time, the emergency ordinance merging local and European parliamentary elections, which also allows the temporary election of mayors, is on the CCR's table, after the supreme court admitted a request by REPER for referral to the Court.
Political parties are not doing too well when it comes to trust either. According to a recent IRES survey, they are the institutions in which young people up to 35 years of age have the lowest trust (only 4% of the survey participants declare that they have a lot and a lot of trust in them), followed by the Government and the Parliament of Romania (both credited with 9%) and the president's institution (11%).
Agitation and in the Opposition
Although it was registered for the European Parliament at the discretion of the judges, the United Right Alliance still faces some internal problems. While at PMP the legal situation regarding the leadership of the party is not definitively resolved, at USR Cǎtǎlin Drulǎ he is still facing the opposition of some members of the formation with traction in the electorate, but also in the party, such as Vlad Gheorghe and Elena Lasconi.
There has also been turmoil in AUR recently, with several internal scandals and departures. However, the formation has recovered people from the parties from Putere or even from USR.
The party led by George Simion has opened the doors wide for anyone who wants to join the party, in some cases the people supported to run for various public positions being controversial.
