The candidate approved by the ruling coalition for the mayor’s office of Timişoara, liberal Nicolae Robu, spoke for the first time about the scandal in his party after PNL Timiş president Alina Nitsa was fired from the leadership of the county branch for strongly opposing the PSD-PNL electoral alliance in Timis County. Robu told Timisoara residents who follow him on his Facebook page that “we cannot be the Taliban” and that the ideologies of the two parties are no longer “so different,” News.ro said.

Robu claims that he is rational and that defeat in the 2020 local elections benefited him.

“The fight is over and I don’t want to comment on it. I have received messages, obviously not from sympathizers, who are worried that I will also have PSD support. They seem to be worried about me and my fate, in fact they are worried about them,” Nicolae Rob said live on his Facebook page.

The right-left electoral alliance considers Robu a chance for development.

“Good people, let’s get out of the heat. I am very rational, I have changed. I felt good about losing in 2020. Let’s think: this country is led by the PSD-PNL alliance, and I say that there is a chance for Romania to have a stable, formed government in such a critical period (…) from the strongest party. (…) There are periods in history when we have to overcome doctrinal differences. We cannot be Taliban, especially in the last many years, the ideologies are not so separated from each other. We cannot stay with the Taliban because it is harmful. We must have a more flexible mind, be more pragmatic, do good for the community,” Robu said.

Nicolae Robu: “Healthy right in PNL, the rest are supporters”

Responding to an internet user’s comment, Robu said that “the right wing in the PNL is healthy, the rest are traitors.”

“They accuse us of an alliance with the PSD and talk about the pole of the right together with the USR. (…) USR is much more left-wing than PSD,” Robu added.

The candidate from the PSD-PNL alliance in the Timisoara mayor’s office did not want to comment on the case of Alin Nitsa, because “I don’t want to criticize my colleague Alin Nitsa. I don’t want to quarrel with him.”

However, Roboux was talking about Alfred Simonis.

“People vote for local elections. In any configuration, if I were a candidate, I would get about the same number of votes (…). Mr. Alfred Simonis, leaving aside some claims, is the number three man in the Romanian state. I’m guessing he went through some serious filters to get pushed and accepted there. All I care about is doing good for Timisoara. Whatever I have to work with, I work,” said Nicolae Rob.

PNL spokesman Ionuţ Stroe announced that the National Political Bureau of the party decided at a meeting on Tuesday to dismiss Alin Nitsa from the leadership of the Timiş organization, and Vasile Blaga took the position of temporary head of the organization.

In addition, the PNL and the PSD decided that the PSD should have a joint coalition candidate for the post of chairman of the Timișoara County Council from the PSD, and a joint coalition candidate for the mayor of Timisoara from the PNL.