Romania's Social Democratic Party (PSD), the biggest opposition party that holds the blocking minority (33%) in Parliament, wants to be consulted by the Government as part of broader public debates about the EUR 30 bln Relaunch and Resilience Plan (PNRR), News.ro reported. 

More or less openly, it threatens to withdraw its support for the EURATOM bill, which needs to be passed by all EU parliaments. The bill foresees an increase of the national contribution to the Union's budget from 1.2% currently to 1.4% of GDP in view of financing the Relaunch and Resilience Facility. 

"[PSD] president Marcel Ciolacu made himself clear when saying said that we would make a decision [unless the Govt. is open for talks on PNRR] and it is possible to go on a parliamentary strike," confirmed PSD MP Marius Budai speaking for RFI.

PSD announced in March that it would not vote for the EURATOM treaty until Prime Minister Florin Citu presents the PNRR in Parliament. 

Ludovic Orban, the leader of the ruling coalition and of the National Liberal Party (PNL), said that he could not understand the link between PNRR and EURATOM, G4media.ro reported. 

He warned the Social Democrats "not to make fun of all EU citizens, trying to blackmail them by not participating in the vote to ratify the treaty." 

As regards PNRR, Orban assured that he talked with prime minister Florin Citu and everything was fine.

"There are necessary reforms, pension reform, digitalization, reform in the functioning of the tax system, in the field of justice, in education, all these reforms are part of the reforms included in the government program and will be carried out because they are necessary."

After the EC began to reject Romania's projects proposed for financing under PNRR, entities more credible than PSD (and less politically biased) expressed interest in the content of the documents sent by the Government to Brussels. But the minister of Investments and European Projects, Cristian Ghinea, of the reformist USR PLUS, refused to make the details public.

(Photo: Cateyeperspective/ Dreamstime)

andrei@romania-insider.com