Crisis averted? Romania's ruling coalition says it's not worth breaking partnership over disobedient member

What seemed potentially to be the beginning of the end for the USL was once again resolved, as both the PNL and PSD said the case is closed and the crisis averted. Monday May 20 was the deadline given by Romanian Prime Minister Victor Ponta to solve the internal crisis within the Social Liberal Union USL, after a member of the National Liberal Party PNL publicly made accusations against the coalition partners, the Social Democratic Party. PNL leader Crin Antonescu said the case concerning PNL member Sorin Rosca Stanescu was closed and in his opinion, there is no longer a crisis within the USL. The executive president of USL Liviu Dragnea also said the USL will not break over this situation, as a political crisis is not needed, and none of the parties can afford to break the union for Sorin Rosca Stanescu. “It is an important governing year, Romania has big challenges ahead and we cannot afford to break up the USL for Sorin Rosca Stanescu. We would have wanted the PNL to take a firmer stance, but this does not mean we will break up the USL,” said Dragnea. Both PNL and PSD have separate meetings today to discuss the latest events within the USL coalition party. Pundits have been expecting troubles within the political marriage, but while commentators argued the USL would break in the past for various misunderstandings, both its leaders, PNL's Crin Antonescu and PSD's Victor Ponta – the country's Prime Minister – officially found a way to continue. This time however Ponta gave Antonescu until Monday to take measures against Sorin Rosca Stanescu, a PNL member who recently accused the PSD of being on a mission to bury an investigation into the activity of a judge. Stanescu earlier resigned from a Parliamentary commission set up to investigate the judge. The PM cited the USL agreement, which does not allow public conflicts between members of the two parties in the Union, nor public attacks against colleagues or the other alliance party. editor@romania-insider.com (photo source: USL's website)