Romanian Govt Coalition Parties Both Claim EP Elections Victory, Commissioner Portfolio

The loudest voice claiming victory in the elections belonged to democrat liberal secretary general Vasile Blaga, who said the Democratic Liberal Party won the elections and, therefore, PDL wishes to appoint an European commissioner.

 

"The social democrats are not the winners in the EP elections. PDL won the elections. PSD did not win, by any measure, and they know it," Blaga said.

 

He added, at the same time, that the presidency plays an important role in the appointment of the European Commissioner.

"We have a very serious institution that has a say regarding the commissioner: the Presidency. The Presidency needs to express an opinion because it has very serious constitutional obligations in foreign policy," Blaga said.

 

Transport minister Radu Berceanu also said the democrat liberals will not give up the European Commissioner portfolio.

 

"I don’t think we can appoint an European commissioner «guaranteed by (controversial social democrat leader) Vanghelie»," Berceanu said.

 

In their turn, the social democrats claimed victory in the European Parliament elections, avoided explicitly saying the European Commissioner should be appointed from among their ranks.

 

Thus, social democrat vice president Liviu Dragnea said PSD won the EP elections, no PDL, adding, however, that the next European Commissioned needs to be a professional and, beyond the name of that commissioner, what counts is the portfolio that Romania will obtain.

 

"We won the elections, not PDL. It’s not the person that counts, but the domain," Dragnea said.

 

Social democrat vice president Victor Ponta also said Romania needs to have a commissioner. "I don’t know if this commissioner needs to be a social democrat or a democrat liberal," Ponta said.

 

PSD secretary general Valeriu Zgonea said Monday that, according to the social democrats’ parallel count, PSD won the elections, receiving 11 mandates, one more than PDL, while the Greater Romania Party (PRM) received three mandates in the European Parliament.

 

Zgonea said PSD has one mandate more than PDL and also one mandate more than the number obtained in 2007, which is why the party is right to claim victory in the EP elections and nominate the Romanian European Commissioner.

 

"For two years we have had a right wing commissioner and we have not achieved anything. Now is the time for us to have a left wing commissioner. I hope Traian Basescu will respect this rule and show fairness," he added.

 

Preliminary results from the Central Electoral Office (BEC), at GMT 1330, indicate the alliance formed of the Social Democratic Party (PSD) and the Conservative Party (PC) secured 31.07% of the votes, the Democratic Liberal Party (PDL) obtained 29.71% and the National Liberal Party (PNL) got 14.52%.

 

Furthermore, the Hungarian minority party (UDMR) obtained 8,92%, followed by far-right Greater Romania Party (PRM) with 8.65% and independent candidate Elena Basescu with 4.22%, BEC spokesperson, Marian Muhulet, said Monday. 

 

The PSD+PC alliance obtained 1,504,218 votes, or 31.07%; PDL got 1,438,000 votes, or 29.71%; PNL obtained 702,974 votes, or 14.52%; UDMR got 431,739 votes, or 8,92%; PRM obtained 419,094 votes, or 8.65%; Elena Basescu obtained 204,280, or 4.22%; the National Christian-Democratic Peasants’ Party (PNTCD) obtained 70,427 votes, or 1.45%; Abraham Pavel got 49,864 votes, or 1.03% and the Civic Force Party obtained 19,436 votes, or 0.4%.

 

The total number of voters at the European Parliament elections on June 7 reached  5,035,297, or 27.67%.

 

The total number of valid votes reached 4,840,032, or 96.12%.

 

BEC will present the next results Tuesday at GMT 1000.