by
Martin Banks
His intervention comes amid mounting speculation that Romania’s President Klaus Iohannis will nominate Prime Minister Dacian Ciolos for another mandate irrespective of the outcome of the election on 11 December.
This has led to accusations that Iohannis is attempting to “interfere” in the election, fears which have been further fueled by the president publicly asking Ciolos, an independent politician, to declare his allegiance to a political party.
MEPs have warned of an “undemocratic” move by the centre right president and senior Bulgarian MEP Sergei Stanishev branded his comments as "destructive."
Iohannis appointed Ciolos, a former EU commissioner, as PM in November 2015 when the Social Democratic government led by Victor Ponta was forced to resign.
The president recently told the Romanian media: “Dacian Ciolos could very well continue his important projects if he states his future intentions...”
While Ciolos, EU agriculture commissioner from October 2007 to December 2008, has said he will not join any political party or run in the elections, Iohannis insists that he would not name a politically independent PM after the vote.
President’s ultimatum to Ciolos, who has no party political affiliations, may be interpreted as an attempt to save the National Liberal Party (PNL), Iohannis’ former party, by bringing on board a popular figure like Ciolos.
The PNL has been rocked week by a corruption investigation into Vasile Blaga, one of its co-presidents.
Pavel, one of Romania’s leading MEPs, has now intervened, insisting on transparent and fair elections in December.
The deputy, a member of the Group of the Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats in the European Parliament, has now intervened, telling this website, “I hope that the electoral process, and the general elections in December will take place in a transparent manner and, above anything else, in the interest of the citizens.”
On Friday, the President of the Party of European Socialists, Sergei Stanishev, told this website, "We support the Social Democratic Party of Romania (PSD) in their efforts of defending democracy and standing by the fundamental right of people to express their free will during election. The PES calls the stakeholders in Romania to respect democracy, rule of law and the Romanian Constitution."
Further comment comes from Paul Ivan, a senior policy analyst at the Brussels-based European Policy Centre (EPC), who said the president had appeared to be become involved in the election where he is not supposed to and, in doing so, was potentially leaving himself open to being criticised for “ignoring the result of the elections.”
Ivan told EUReporter: “He appears to be (interfering) although the 'allowed' level of involvement into politics of a Romanian president is a bit of a grey area. That particular part of the constitution doesn't define well what is allowed.”
On speculation that the president planned to keep the PM in place irrespective of the election result, Ivan added, “Any new government will have to be voted in parliament and for that one would need a parliamentary majority so it’s not like the president can ignore the result of the elections or the composition of the parliament.”
He went on, “The current technocratic government of Ciolos was invested with the vote of Liviu Dragnea’s Social Democrats. I can, therefore, understand of course that the Social Democrats did not like Iohannis’ statement and would criticize it. At the same time, Iohannis seems to be frustrated with Ciolos’ refusal so far to join, or publicly state his support/sympathy for, the National Liberal Party.”
He said, “We are far from knowing who will form the new government after the elections and the Social-Democrats actually have a better standing in the polls than the liberals.”
Ivan, a specialist on Romanian affairs, went on, “There’s nothing really surprising in Iohannis’ support for Ciolos and in his wish to keep him as PM after elections. This is Romanian politics as usual.
“The rotten party financing system and corruption threatens Romanian democracy more than politicians having political opinions/preferences.”
Dragnea, the president of the Social Democratic Party (PSD), the biggest Romanian political party, reacted to the President’s statements saying that he should “respect the Constitution and not get involved in the electoral campaign.”
Opinion polls credit PSD as the largest force and is tipped to have a major victory in December.
By: N. Peter Kramer
