Romanian President Basescu admits adversary Antonescu has good chance in 2014 elections, expects USL to stay together

Despite being his political nemesis, Romanian president Traian Basescu (in picture) recognized that the future presidential candidate and ruling union leader Crin Antonescu has high chances of becoming the president after the 2014 elections. Basescu also forecast a longer life for the Social Liberal Union, which is currently running Romania, as he does not expect the union to break anytime soon. “It has chances, because USL will stay. Anyone who has illusions about USL breaking up, is wrong,” said the Romanian president. “I'm sure they will support Crin Antonescu at the 2014 presidential elections,” said Basescu, who added USL is a successful union. Basescu himself will not be contesting the next presidential elections and is ineligible to stand under Romanian Constitutional law, which sets a maximum of two terms of office.

Basescu, the former leader of the Democratic Party – now the Democratic Liberal Party – before taking presidential office in 2004, said two men within the PDL can stand up and fight with Antonescu in the upcoming presidential battle, as they are intellectually superior and have experience. PDL is currently in the midst of electing a new leader, with two women – former Tourism Minister Elena Udrea and former Justice Minister Monica Macovei competing against the existing leader Vasile Blaga. When asked whether there are women in the PDL who could have a chance at presidency, he said “only two men”, ruling out the two women currently running for the helm of the party. When talking about Antonescu, who replaced Traian Basescu for two months as interim president last year during the time the president was suspended, the incumbent president said he is the type of politician who likes to gather 'drop by drop', unlike himself, who deals with the bigger topics. Crin Antonescu is the leader of the National Liberal Party (PNL), part of the USL union and also head of the Romanian senate, which makes him the second most powerful man in the state, after the president. At the president's recent speech in the Parliament, Antonescu choose not to attend the meeting, saying Basescu is an illegitimate president. editor@romania-insider.com