Romania – presidential elections: Victor Ponta begins campaign for second round with nationalist message

Romania’s Prime Minister and presidential candidate Victor Ponta, who won the first round of the presidential elections on Sunday, November 2, started his campaign for the second round with a virulent statement against his opponent, Sibiu’s mayor Klaus Iohannis, and his foreign supporters. He also said he will announce a new Prime Minister proposal to succeed him if he gets elected President on November 16. “Mr. Iohannis is a thing, not a politician,” said Ponta. He also reaffirmed his goal to unite all Romanians and to be a president for all Romanians implying that Iohannis and his supporters aim to divide Transylvania and the rest of Romania. “We don’t want to get orders on how to live in Romania from outside the country, from the EPP (European Popular Party – e.n.) and from other individuals who mocked Romania in 2012. We thank them, but we know better what’s better for Romanians and we will not accept their orders and their contempt towards Romanians anymore,” Ponta said, referring to a statement of EPP’s leader, Joseph Daul, who expressed his support for Klaus Iohannis. In 2012, EPP supported current Romanian President Traian Basescu who had been suspended by Ponta’s party and its allies. Ponta’s statements, which have a significant nationalistic message, might be aimed at bringing him the support from nationalistic supporters who voted for populist politicians such as Corneliu Vadim Tudor, Dan Diaconescu and Gheorghe Funar, in the first round of the presidential elections. The three gathered more than 750,000 votes in the first round, which is more than 8% of the total votes. Ponta also counts on the support of former liberal Prime Minister Calin Popescu Tariceanu, who came third in the first round of the elections, with 5.4% of the votes. Tariceanu left the National Liberal Party (PNL) to form his own party, the Reformist Liberal Party (PLR), in which he was joined by other liberals who were unhappy with the break-up of the former Social Liberal Union (USL), which was made of PNL and Ponta’s Social Democratic Party (PSD). According to the USL protocol, the union’s candidate for the presidential elections was supposed to be PNL’s former leader Crin Antonescu. Ponta said the Government will continue USL’s governing program even if he will get elected President and a new Prime Minister will be appointed. He also said he plans to name a Prime Minister from outside his own party, and most pundits expect Calin Popescu Tariceanu to be the appointed for the job. Ponta would make an official announcement on Tuesday, November 4, at 17:00. Victor Ponta got 40.33% in the first round of the presidential elections and has a 10% advantage over his opponent Klaus Iohannis, who only got 30.44%. editor@romania-insider.com