Romanian President Wants Right Winged Govt But No Liberal PM – Paper

„My choice is the same as in 2004 and 2008: to have a right-winged government. The catch is whether liberals will insist on naming a prime minister. In that case, it won’t be possible because I already have a bad experience with a liberal prime minister. But other than that, I’m all for a right-winged government,” Basescu told the paper.

In 2004, when he was elected president, Basescu appointed liberal Calin Tariceanu to head a government of democrats and liberals, but democrats later left the Cabinet and left Tariceanu with a minority government. After parliamentary elections in 2008, democrat liberals formed a government with leftist social democrats, because liberals refused an alliance that wasn’t headed by a liberal prime minister.

The head of state, who is running for reelection on November 22, said Romania needs stable governments at least over the next ten to twenty years.

„I think that, at least for the next 10-20, Romania needs strong governments. I would like to remind of the efficiency of the (social democrat) Nastase government, which was a single-color government,” Basescu said.

Basescu, who has headed the Democratic Party but is now formally independent and backed by the party for reelection, said he does not control the party, but many of its members have opinions that coincide with his own.