Former PNL president Crin Antonescu – one of the masters of the PSD-PNL coalition called the Social Liberal Union (USL) and who has been away from politics for many years – says that “it is not normal that the PNL is interpreted as sick Romanian politics.” Crin Antonescu on the Digi 24 broadcast, he spoke about the possible takeover of the party leadership by the former head of the SRI, Eduard Hellwig, as well as about Nikolae Chuke, who “tried and is trying to justify himself in a difficult situation, when he had political experience behind the shoulders of the party president.”

A poll commissioned by INSCOP for News.ro and published on Monday shows that if the European Parliament elections were held on Sunday, the PNL would receive 18.8% of the vote, followed by the AUR with 18.4%.

However, Crin Antonescu says that he does not believe that the PNL today “is in such a dramatic situation, close to disaster, as it has been repeatedly described.”

• “I notice that many people in the field of political analysis and commentary are mainly concerned about the fate of the PNL. (…)
• I do not think that the PNL today is in such a dramatic situation, bordering on disaster, as it is often described.
• The European parliamentary elections are approaching, I think that (…) PNL has the opportunity to outline the directions and horizons for Romanian society or for that part of society that wants to support the project that we undertook many years ago – Western, European project, NATO.
• I think he has something to say, I think he has, talking about the European elections, people who can be put on the list, people about whom he can say very clearly not only what they are going to do, but that , which they did, and they did. PNL has what it takes to take on these very tough battles this year. I don’t know what the outcome will be, I don’t know how PNL will do. I hope he will find the optimal formulas,” Crin Antonescu told Digi24 on Tuesday.

“Nikolae Chuke tried and is trying to make a dignified excuse from a difficult situation”

The former leader of the PNL, who suddenly disappeared from politics in 2014 when he resigned from the leadership of the PNL and the Senate, and the USL collapsed, also spoke about the possible takeover of the leadership of the PNL by the former head of the NDI, Eduard Helwig, who was even a personal adviser.

Crin Antonescu argued that Hellwig “has the resources to play at a high level in Romanian politics”:

• “I also said: if he wants, Eduard Helwig has the equipment, he has the resources to play at a high level in Romanian politics.
• I don’t know whether he will want to do it or whether the PNL will support him for one or another position. There are other people who can run for anything, even the presidency of Romania. Why not?”.

As for current PNL leader Nicolae Cuke, “who has almost obsessively debated how he will step down as leader” of the party after the European Parliament, Crin Antonescu said he did not see him in that position, but that “it could happen.” .

• “After all, this is politics. I can only appreciate the fact that President Nicolae Chuke tried and is trying to make a decent excuse from the difficult situation of being the president of a party with little political experience.
• I hope that this idea of ​​mine – that it is not normal for the NLP to be treated as a sick man of Romanian politics – will be confirmed by the next elections and what the NLP will do and say on the political scene,” said Crin Antonescu.

“Iohannis kept Romania going in the right direction during very turbulent times. It is more important than the route of the visit”

The former PNL president also spoke on Digi24 about President Klaus Iohannis, claiming that he “kept Romania on the right path,” which will matter more than the itinerary of the visit.

When asked if he considers President Klaus Iohannis’ foreign trips a problem for him, Crin Antonescu said they don’t bother him:

• “I don’t mind. Of course, these things can be discussed and have their price, image matters.
• I am interested, and these are some of the successes of the Iohannis mandate, the fact that in terms of Romania’s orientation, the international position of Romania in very turbulent times was correct, I am interested in the fact that during the nine years of his rule, the mandate, more normalized some things, concerning the relationship of service-political life, justice-political life.
• He greatly appreciates the fact that the president no longer used international institutions, international political circles to solve his domestic political problems, as was the case with his predecessor. There are things that matter more than the itinerary of presidential visits, which some may interpret as a vacation itinerary and others as an unprecedented openness in foreign policy.”