USR-PLUS, the second-biggest party in Romania’s center-right ruling coalition, will elect a single leader on October 2.

Three candidates have officially entered the internal race, including USR leader Dan Barna, PLUS leader Dacian Ciolos, and senator Ambrozie Irineu Darau, who presents himself as an alternative to his better-known opponents, Hotnews.ro reported.

The elections come after the merger between the Save Romania Union (USR) and PLUS was completed earlier this year.

Dan Barna and Dacian Ciolos have been co-presidents of the party so far, but now they will run against one another.

The three candidates presented their programs in a meeting of the party’s leadership on Saturday, August 28.

Both Barna and Ciolos spoke about insufficient progress in achieving the party’s goals as part of the governing coalition. However, when it comes to a decision on whether to leave the governing coalition or not, their positions were more nuanced.

Barna, who is a deputy prime minister in the cabinet led by Liberal Florin Citu, said USR-PLUS doesn’t want to leave the Government but that it won’t remain part of the coalition under any circumstances, according to News.ro.

Meanwhile, Ciolos said clearly that USR-PLUS wouldn’t leave the governing coalition because “it’s time Romania is reformed.”

(Photo: Alianta USR PLUS Facebook Page)

andrei@romania-insider.com