The Major Partners in the Ruling Coalition Drift Apart

The senior partners in the ruling coalition, the National Liberal Party and the Democrat Party, have many issues deepening the rift between them, as do their current and former leaders, PM Calin Popescu Tariceanu and President Traian Basescu, respectively.

The political consultations Basescu started with parliamentary parties on reforming the electoral and political system highlighted that widening rift.

Basescu held a meeting with the NLP leaders, while their leader and also PM, Tariceanu, was heading for Bratislava, to a meeting of European liberals to present his candidacy for the vice-presidency of their forum.

Basescu wanted to confer on the issue of changing the make of the Parliament from a two-house to a one-house assembly. This was supposed to work as an ice-breaker between the two parties, but it was not to be, sources told Jurnalul National.

Basescu did not make any statements, but the liberals said that the president agreed to also consider a change in the way the presidents are elected.

The liberals’ stance is that Romania should become a parliamentary republic, meaning the president will be elected by parliamentarians, and not by citizens as it is currently the case.

The liberals put forward their set of proposals for changing the political system: a two-house Parliament elected by a winner-takes-all voting system; the number of parliamentarians shrunk with 15% and the election of the Senate changed so as to represent only local communities.

Basescu, for his part, championed the idea of a one-house-only parliament, and seasoned his remarks with criticism against Tariceanu.

Basescu said the PM should address the issue of regulating the hospitals, giving the public radio and television freedom from political pressures, reforming the energy sector and the customs.

"If you by any chance changed the government plan do let me know," told Basescu the liberals.

The deputy head of the NLP, Puiu Hasotti, asked the president why the DP sformerly led by Basescut did not join the liberals in the political consultations Tariceanu held. Basescu answered that the democrats were cross with the liberals because the latter attacked him in the media.

The liberals left Cotroceni Palace with no statements to the media.

Basescu said he would not make any public statement on the political consultations before meeting all parties represented in the Parliament.

Hence liberal leader Teodor Melescanu stated the NLP will adopt a similar stance and issue only a press release, abstaining from any comments.