Representatives of the center-right National Liberal Party (PNL) met on Sunday, June 21, in an extraordinary congress and reconfirmed president Ilie Bolojan as head of the party after strong contestation from supporters of PM-designate Adrian Vestea.
Bolojan, currently interim prime minister after he was deposed by the Social Democratic Party (PSD), a former partner of the PNL within the government coalition, and the far-right opposition party Alliance for the Union of Romanians (AUR) in May, restated his control over the party and guaranteed that PNL parliamentarians would not vote for the Vestea government later this week. The PM-designate had initially announced he would run for PNL leader, but later retracted his bid.
Out of the 2,500 expected delegates who came to Bucharest for the extraordinary congress, roughly 75% were present, and 1,769 voted for Bolojan as president.
The congress, prompted by Vestea’s surprise appointment as PM without party approval, also brought changes to the leadership structure of the party, lowering the number of vice-president positions.
At the same congress, Oana Gheorghiu, acting vice prime minister with a career in the NGO sector, and minister of investments and European projects (MIPE), Dragos Pislaru (formerly REPER party), joined the Liberal Party as vice presidents. To include them in the party leadership, PNL had to change certain internal rules regarding party seniority, despite some protests.
In addition, former PNL president and former prime minister Ludovic Orban joined the Liberal party with his political vehicle (Forta Dreptei). Both Gheorghiu and Pislaru, as well as Orban, were strong pro-Bolojan voices in the past months. Their inclusion in the party strengthens the former PM’s position and his negotiating power with the Social Democratic Party and president Nicusor Dan.
Another Bolojan ally, Bucharest general mayor Ciprian Ciucu, decided against running for a leadership position within the party due to a recently announced corruption charge brought against him just two days before the announced congress. Present at the event, however, he restated his position in favor of continued reforms and Bolojan as party leader.
The Liberals also passed two motions – one ruling out once again future collaboration with the Social Democrats (PSD) and the other urging PM-designate Adrian Vestea, Alina Gorghiu (MP, vice prime minister candidate), MEP Rares Bogdan, Hubert Thuma and Lucian Bode (head of the party’s treasury) to resign. The first three acted against the party by backing Vestea’s PM and PNL leadership bid, while the latter was condemned for his poor handling of the party finances. According to the resolution, if Vestea’s supporters refuse to resign, they will face exclusion procedures for their repeated actions against the interests of the party.
Rares Bogdan, Bode, and Thuma rejected any blame and condemned Bolojan for forcefully eliminating internal opponents. Others, even among those present at the congress, protested against Gheorghiu and Pislaru’s fast-tracked inclusion in the party.
The dissident faction also contested the validity of the congress and the decisions approved by the congress, particularly their planned exclusion from the party, and claimed that the decisions could be challenged in court. In fact, 16 dissident PNL MPs have sued the party repeatedly at the end of last week, and obtained a decision to suspend their expulsion from the party – although it is unclear whether such a court ruling can have any effect.
(Photo source: PNL on Facebook)
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