Former Romanian Socialist and Liberal PMs merge their parties to create "real opposition"

Pro Romania, the party of former Social Democrat prime minister Victor Ponta, and ALDE, the political vehicle of former Liberal PM Calin Popescu Tariceanu, have decided to merge.

The decision comes after poor results for the two parties in the local elections at the end of September.

The new party will be called Pro Romania Social Liberal and will run as a single entity in the general elections. Calin Popescu Tăriceanu declared on Thursday that the new party aims to be "a real opposition force," Mediafaxreported.

Victor Ponta added that the new party must block "what at this moment seems a straight path to the abyss."

He accused the Social Democratic Party (PSD), which he once headed, of hidden arrangements with the ruling National Liberal Party (PNL), which Tariceanu led from 2004 until 2009.

"The statutory bodies of PRO Romania and ALDE decided simultaneously to set off together, to create a stronger political force, to unite our resources. On the political scene, we have seen an intense polarization between the two major parties, a radicalization of political discourse, and, I would say, a manifest desire of the big parties to eliminate the small parties. Today's merger decision is our common response to this political situation," said Calin Popescu Tariceanu.

Tariceanu's ALDE got a political score of only 2.6% in the local elections, while Ponta's PRO Romania got little over 4.5%.

With similar scores in the general elections, neither of the parties would make it to the Parliament, as the minimum threshold is 5%.

(Photo: Pro Romania Facebook Page)