Romanian prime minister Florin Citu said that he has a "very good" relationship with the leader of the senior ruling Liberal party (PNL), Ludovic Orban, but he refused to say whether he would back Orban for another term. 

PM Citu also admitted that he targets "one of the top seats" in the party, which further fueled rumors about possibly running against the incumbent head of the party, News.ro reported. 

In separate news, prime vice-president of the Liberal party, Rares Bogdan, assured Ludovic Orban that he would face a pretty powerful contender in the internal elections the party is supposed to hold during its congress this year. 

"I assure you with sympathy that Ludovic Orban will have a counter-candidate and will have a very strong one. (…) I am extremely strong, not very strong, but I do not run," he said, quoted by Adevarul.

Rares Bogdan listed PM Citu among the potential rivals for the Liberal party's top seats - beside Emil Boc, the mayor of Cluj-Napoca, Ilie Bolojan, the head of Oradea County Council, and MEP Robert Sighiartău. 

Ludovic Orban announced, in the meeting of the PNL leadership on Monday, May 17, that the procedures for the preparation of the party's congress would start next week.

The Liberal leader also came up with an explanation regarding the urgency in organizing the congress: "Let's do it before a possible new wave appears, probably in September". 

(Photo: Gov.ro)

andrei@romania-insider.com