Politics tangle up in Romania as new kids on the block, the Liberal Romania Initiative and Popular Movement spinoffs start making waves

After the counselors of Romania's president started the Popular Movement, a group of politicians from the National Liberal Party made a similar move, creating the Liberal Romania Initiative, headed by the District 1 mayor Andrei Chiliman (in picture). The initiative is openly pitting itself against the way PNL leader Crin Antonescu is leading the party, and the movement's leaders are very likely to be expelled from the PNL, according to commentators.

With this new expected spinoff from the PNL, things are poised to change on the political scene in Romania, as the Social Liberal Union, whose founding member, the PNL is already shaking. The exchange of statements between USL's leaders Crin Antonescu and Prime Minister Victor Ponta pointed to what political analysts believe to be the beginning of the end for the coalition which is currently running Romania. In the party's recent internal elections, the Social Democratic Party PSD led by Ponta already announced it plans to run for the European parliament elections as a standalone party, and not within the USL umbrella. The announcement seems to have upset USL co-leader Antonescu, who said it would have been normal for the news to come from both USL leaders. On top of this, the leader of the Liberal Romania Initiative said he does not rule out a possible collaboration with the Popular Movement, which is seen as the Romanian President's new party, despite being at the NGO status for the time being. Both are right wing movements, and Chiliman said he's sure ways of collaboration can be found, but that it's too early to discuss political collaboration. However, he invited all the people who shared their right wing vision to join. This too is structured as a foundation, and Chiliman said he will stay part of the PNL, ruling out the idea of turning the foundation into a party. Other members of the Liberal Romania Initiative are Vlad Moisescu, Diana Tusa, Bogdan Duca, Dan Cristian Popescu and Iulian Craciun. Former Prime Minister the liberal Calin Popescu Tariceanu, part of a group opposing the current PNL leadership, also said he 'salutes' the new center-right initiative, without being a part of it. Another former PM, Mihai Razvan Ungureanu, also attended the opening event of the liberal spinoff. Ungureanu used to have close ties with the PDL during his short PM mandate in 2012. The Popular Movement was launched by a group of counselors to the president Traian Basescu after the Democratic Liberal Party's internal elections, where Basescu's favorite in the race, Elena Udrea, lost to the incumbent leader Vasile Blaga. Basescu then said he'd part ways with his former party – but did not resign officially. Soon after, the new Popular Movement made headlines in the local media. editor@romania-insider.com (photo source: Liberal Romania Initiative)