Reformist USR-Plus block extends conditional support for centre-right coalition

Dan Barna, the president of Save Romania Union (USR), unveiled a document setting the ground for the negotiation of a "decent" center-right coalition of the reformist block USR-Plus with the National Liberal Party (PNL) and ethnic Hngarians' party UDMR.

USR-Plus is ready to rule together with PNL and UDMR, which "becomes indispensable", the USR-Plus co-president Dacian Ciolos declared in his turn.

The document unveiled by the two at a joint press conference includes the requirements strongly advocated by the reformist block over the past years, such as eliminating the special pensions, dismantling the special section for investigating magistrates (SIIJ), banning convicted persons from holding public seats, two-ballot local elections, and trimming down the number of MPs to 300, G4media.ro reported.

USR-Plus also outlines a list of priorities in the public healthcare and education sectors.

USR-Plus co-president Dacian Ciolos also said it was essential "to support a credible candidate for prime minister," a candidate capable of bringing together the right-wing reformist forces.

"This must be discussed in the negotiations with the parties and the president, and not on television. From our point of view, a new beginning is needed," Ciolos said - implying that a new term of prime minister Ludovic Orban is unlikely.

(Photo: Steluta Popescu/ Dacian Ciolos Facebook Page)