Romanian PM says he’s willing to begin negotiations with liberals to recreate USL, Antonescu says no

Romanian social democrat prime minister Victor Ponta said that he’s willing to start over negotiations with the National Liberal Party (PNL) in order to recreate the Social Liberal Union (USL). He made this statement on Sunday, May 26, after the first exit-poll estimates of the elections for the European Parliament were released, which showed that Ponta’s party, the Social Democratic Party (PSD), and its allies won over 40 percent of the votes. The liberals got some 15 percent of the votes. The liberals got out of the USL in February this year, after a series of quarrels between Ponta and the PNL leader Crin Antonescu. Yesterday, Ponta said that he’s willing to negotiate with PNL leaders who still believe in the USL project and that those who “gambled on the Unions future” and lost should pay the price. Following Ponta’s statement last night, Antonescu replied that he will continue to fight as an opposition party and won’t let Romania fall to the hands of the “red barons”. editor@romania-insider.com