For PNL and Nicolae Ciucă, there is no better electoral playbook to play than distancing themselves from PSD and promoting the illusion of a so-called right-wing government. In fact, of an anti-PSD government because PNL is an imposter party in terms of right-wing orientation, but especially in terms of liberalism.
The sale of this illusion has several targets.
First and foremost, mobilizing the liberal electorate to get out from under the boot of PSD. While more disciplined Social Democrats have swallowed the alliance with PNL, which unexpectedly brought them to power, for the liberal electorate, this bitter pill has remained stuck in their throat and has been a continuous source of frustration.
So, come to the polls to rebuild the anti-PSD government where we will have the dominant role. Both in parliamentary and presidential elections, the expectation is for a president from PNL to give his party the biggest piece of the pie from Victoria Palace.
For this reason, liberals are convinced that they cannot fail to send their candidate to the second round. And there, with this argument, to attract anti-PSD votes, primarily from USR, but not only.
Furthermore, hearing that they could be abandoned and left without a majority partner, PSD may be less dominant.
Thus, Mr. Ciucă has announced the liberals' intention to have a right-wing government and PNL's openness to dialogue towards this goal. However, as USR president Elena Lasconi says, no liberal has contacted her to build any bridges.
It is true that there is a favorable zone within PNL for rebuilding the alliance with USR, one of its proponents being Dan Motreanu. However, it remains to be seen whether the change in USR leadership and the party's score in the European and local elections have maintained interest.
However, in general, things are mixed.
Yes, at the core of PNL, there is a lot of resentment towards PSD, which was also evident in the local election campaign. But not on matters of principles, on fundamental governance visions, on public money management.
Liberals are furious because, although they consider themselves somewhat entitled to govern, having the President of Romania, they feel and indeed are second fiddle. They were even when they had the Prime Minister, now it is even more burdensome.
They want a bigger piece of the pie, they are not happy that their benefits are smaller, but the bill of governance is larger than that of PSD. That's what it's all about, and that's why their goal is not to rebuild the alliance with USR, which they only hold a pleasant memory of in terms of the ultra-dominant position it had within the government.
Of course, it was easier for them to tie the knots with USR, but otherwise, governing with USR was much more difficult because they had nothing in common.
With PSD, PNL has everything in common. They are two system parties, practically without ideology, full of barons, based on mobilizing the apparatus whose pillars are the many mayors generously funded from the budget based on electoral results and obedience.
So liberals are not seeking to break away from PSD. They are very comfortable with the mammoth majority. What they are not comfortable with is their share in this majority and its dynamics. They want to change it in their favor.
They want to continue stability, but to be the main beneficiaries, and for that, they sell the illusion of an alliance which, based on the current USR score, doesn't even project the chance of a majority. But it sounds good.