After over three hours of discussions, PSD and PNL did not reach an agreement today regarding the schedule of the presidential elections.
A new meeting is set to take place on Friday, political sources told News.ro.
– About the importance of the decision regarding the election date, Ioana Ene Dogioiu wrote today.
PNL wants the elections to take place as close as possible to the constitutional deadline, namely in November, while PSD insists that the first round should be held in September.
The Social Democrats do not want to give up on the proposed date. In contrast, the Liberals say they are willing to accept an intermediary date agreed upon with coalition partners.
### PSD does not give in
PSD does not give up on the proposed date, namely September. PSD spokesperson Lucian Romaşcanu stated on Tuesday that the Minister of the Interior, Cătălin Predoiu, has two government decisions on the table, one for September 15 and the other for September 29.
He specified that Predoiu must decide together with PNL which of these dates are suitable.
„Unfortunately, today there were attempts to discuss these dates again. PSD cannot agree to the weekly change of the electoral calendar because we are not the only ones running in these elections, so people need to have a predictable calendar.
As a result, it remains for Mr. Predoiu, as Minister of the Interior, to decide during this week, being a PNL minister, together with PNL, which of these dates are suitable, we making this concession to PNL, being able to accept the date of September 29,” said the PSD spokesperson.
The PSD senator was asked what would happen if the Liberals block this decision.
„I believe we have a partner who keeps their word. We cannot, because some may not make it to the second round, change the election date based on these desires. We are in a situation where, in March, a calendar was requested for the whole year. We provided it. Now the decision is with the Minister of the Interior. I still believe that from the perspective of our Liberal colleagues, honor is quite important, and they will stick to what they said,” Romaşcanu pointed out.
### Liberals are also open to an intermediary date
On the other hand, PNL First Vice President Rareş Bogdan stated that the Liberals want the presidential elections to take place according to the constitutional calendar, namely on November 10 and 24, but they are also open to an intermediary date agreed upon with coalition partners.
„PSD supported the September 15-29 option, talking about a so-called understanding between the governing parties. There was a discussion, but it had two components that were omitted: the joint list should have exceeded 50%, it had only 48%, and a list with a common candidate, president-premier tandem.
The two parties decided to go with their own candidates. The two parties that met in Poiana Braşov and Sâmbăta de Sus 10 days ago decided to go with their own candidate for the presidential elections. That proposal, from our point of view, is outdated, and we believe that these elections should be held at the constitutional deadline, in November. The constitutional dates are November 10 and 24. That is the constitutional date,” Rareş Bogdan declared on Tuesday at the PNL headquarters in Modrogan.
Asked about PSD’s request for the Minister of the Interior to come up with Government decisions for the election dates of September 15 and 29, the PNL First Vice President replied: „There was only a discussion about September 15 and 29. Last week’s meeting, we proposed to eventually go for an intermediary date that we would agree upon. Based on these things, we need to make a decision.
Regarding Cătălin Predoiu, he is away in Salzburg. He will return on Thursday, and we will see if the proposals that are supposed to come from the Ministry of Internal Affairs have those dates. He will do what is necessary and with the mandate from the party.”
The deadline for the Government to draft the Decision with the election date is July 2.